when the looting starts, the shooting starts en · X
Etymology
Originally used by Walter E. Headley, the police chief of Miami, Florida, in response to an outbreak of violent crime during the 1967 Christmas holiday season. He accused "young hoodlums, from 15 to 21", of "taking advantage of the civil rights campaign" that was then sweeping the United States.
Meanings
- (US) Lethal force is justified against rioters and looters.