Saturday, August 6, 2011
Examiner
After almost three days of deliberating, the jury in Danziger Bridge trial found all five officers guilty on all 25 counts. Though the officers were able to escape murder charges for Ronald Madison and James Brissette, the verdict is still an overwhelming rejection of the defense these officers put up and a major victory for the prosecution, the victims and their families.
Four NOPD officers were on trial for unjustly killing two unarmed people and wounding four others on the Danziger Bridge six days after Hurricane Katrina. They, along with a fifth officer, were also being charged for their roles in the cover-up that followed. The defense had always maintained that the officers were innocent and that they had every reason to believe the victims were armed. Their lawyers constantly referred to the shootings as justified. Today, the jury disagreed with them...[Full Article]
Labels: Danziger Bridge, Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
Thursday, December 2, 2010
NEW ORLEANS (CBS/AP) Michael Hunter stood quietly as a judge sentenced the former New Orleans police officer Wednesday to eight years in federal prison for his role in the coverup and deadly shooting of unarmed civilians after Hurricane Katrina.
The sentence from U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance was the maximum allowed, and nine months more than sentencing guidelines recommended.
Vance called the police shooting on the Danziger Bridge that killed two and wounded four civilians, "sickeningly brutal."
Hunter admitted firing at the people on the bridge, even though he knew they were unarmed and posed no threat, but said he did not hit anyone. But Vance pointed out that he did nothing to stop his fellow officers from firing, in fact watching "an officer shoot Ronald Madison in the back at close range."
Ronald Madison, 40, and mentally disabled, and James Brissette, 19, were killed and four wounded as they crossed the bridge in search of food five days after Katrina struck Aug. 29, 2005...[Full Article]
Labels: Danziger Bridge, Hurricane Katrina, Katrina, shootings
Friday, September 24, 2010
Former New Orleans Police Officer Jeffrey Lehrmann was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison for his part in the cover-up of the Danziger Bridge shootings, our partners at the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported today.
Lehrmann is one of 11 officers who have been charged in the Sept. 4, 2005 incident, in which police officers opened fire on unarmed civilians, killing two and wounding four others. He was the first of five officers to cooperate with federal investigators...
[Full Article]Labels: Danziger Bridge, Hurricane Katrina, Katrina, New Orleans, police
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