No, the local Arcadia, Louisiana police weren’t kicking off the annual Purge. But to citizens already jittery from the COVID-19 virus, the eerie sound of the familiar siren from the horror film frayed nerves.

The Arcadia police, in an effort to remind the locals of a 9 PM curfew, used an alarm that fans of horror classic The Purge instantly recognized. In the film and its series, the sound is used to kick off 12 hours of mayhem in which all crimes are legal, including murder and assault.

Acadia Parish in Louisiana is currently under a 9 PM to 6 AM curfew. Citizens are not to leave home, and could be cited if they do. The police used patrol cars sounding the “Purge” alarm to remind them.

The local police later claimed they didn’t know the sound was associated with the film. They pledged not to use it again.

Below is a video a local citizen captured from their porch. He captioned it, “As if things aren’t bad enough, the Crowley Louisiana police department played The Purge siren to notify its citizens of the evening curfew.”