when the looting starts, the shooting starts

proverb

Lethal force is justified against rioters and looters.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. USLethal force is justified against rioters and looters.

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

when the looting starts, the shooting starts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20the%20looting%20starts%2C%20the%20shooting%20starts

MLA

“when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20the%20looting%20starts%2C%20the%20shooting%20starts. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20the%20looting%20starts%2C%20the%20shooting%20starts.

Source: when the looting starts, the shooting starts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.