Jury Convicts 5 Police Officers in Deadly Post-Katrina Shootings
- Posted on August 5, 2011 at 6:43pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
- Print »
- Email »
NEW ORLEANS (The Blaze/AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted five current or former police officers in deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge after Hurricane Katrina, a high-profile victory for the Justice Department in its push to clean up the city’s troubled police department.
The case was a high-stakes test of the effort to rid the police department of corruption and brutality. A total of 20 current or former New Orleans police officers were charged last year in a series of federal probes. Most of the cases center on actions during the aftermath of the Aug. 29, 2005, storm, which plunged the flooded city into a state of lawlessness and desperation.
Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen, Officer Anthony Villavaso and former officer Robert Faulcon were convicted of civil rights violations in the shootings that killed two people and wounded four others on the Danziger Bridge less than a week after the storm. They face possible life prison sentences.
Retired Sgt. Arthur “Archie” Kaufman and the other four men also were convicted of engaging in a brazen cover-up that included a planted gun, fabricated witnesses and falsified reports. The five men were convicted of all 25 counts they faced.
Shaun Clarke, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor who moved from New Orleans to Houston after Katrina, said the verdicts are “critically important” to the Justice Department’s reform efforts.
“It’s a huge verdict for the government,” he said. “Of all the cases concerning alleged misconduct by police officers after Katrina, this was the one that had the highest national profile.”
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten echoed that, saying the verdicts send a message that “public officials, and especially law enforcement officers, that they will be held accountable and that any abuse of power will have serious consequences.”
Faulcon was found guilty of fatally shooting Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally disabled man, but the jury decided his killing didn’t amount to murder. Faulcon, Gisevius, Bowen and Villavaso were convicted in the death of 17-year-old James Brissette. Jurors didn‘t have to decide whether Brissette was murdered because they didn’t hold any of the defendants individually responsible for causing his death.
Kaufman, who was assigned to investigate the deadly encounter on the bridge, wasn’t charged in the shootings.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who invited the Justice Department last year to conduct a thorough review of the police department, said the verdicts “provide significant closure to a dark chapter in our city’s history.”
In March, the Justice Department issued a blistering report that said New Orleans police officers have often used deadly force without justification, repeatedly made unconstitutional arrests and engaged in racial profiling. Landrieu has said he expects the federal review to bring about court-ordered reforms.
Five former officers pleaded guilty to participating in cover-up of the bridge shootings and testified during the trial. Another former officer, retired Sgt. Gerard Dugue, has a separate trial scheduled to start in September.
Brissette’s mother, Sherrel Johnson, said she was relieved by the verdict after “a long, hard six years” and would now try to move on. But she lamented what her son has lost.
“For him there will be no prom, no baby, no nothing. My child will never have nothing,” she said.
Madison’s relatives said in a statement the family had waited six years to “find out what really happened on that bridge.”
Madison’s sister Jackie Madison Brown read the statement, which also said that after an event like Katrina, “all citizens, no matter what color or what class, deserve protection.”
After the verdict was read, Justice Department prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein became emotional, hugging the families of Madison and Brissette and holding hands with two of Madison’s sisters.
Defense attorney Roger Kitchens, who represented Villavaso, said he believed negative media coverage of the case tainted jurors.
“At this point, I don‘t think it’s possible for a New Orleans police officer to get a fair trial in the city of New Orleans. And I don’t think they got one today,” he said.
Prosecutors said police had no justification for shooting unarmed, defenseless people trying to cross the bridge in search of food and help mere days after Katrina struck.
Defense attorneys argued, however, that police were shot at on the bridge before they returned fire.
Faulcon, the only defendant to testify, said he was “paralyzed with fear” when he shot and killed Madison, as he chased him and his brother, Lance Madison. Faulcon didn’t dispute that he shot an unarmed man in the back, but he testified that he had believed Ronald Madison was armed and posed a threat.
Prosecutors contended that Kaufman retrieved a gun from his home weeks after the shootings and turned it in as evidence, trying to pass it off as a gun belonging to Lance Madison. Police arrested Lance Madison on attempted murder charges, but a grand jury later cleared him.
Comments (18)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 700 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 537 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 360 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 357 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 360 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 275 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
gunslingerpatriot
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:49pmSadly they didn’t go after Mayor Richard “Choculate City” Nagin, his incompetent police chief at the time for their gross negligence in ordering civilians to disarm and turnover all their firearms.
New Orleans and Katrina is the reason why I carry and why I legitimately fear my government. (Sadly, now more than ever)
Report Post »cobra two
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 12:37pm“Faulcon was found guilty of fatally shooting Ronald Madison but the jury decided his killing didn’t amount to murder” ????? WTF! So in New Orleans when someone shoots and kills another person
Report Post »it ain’t murder! Givemeaphuckinbreak! They should take these five guilty bastards and hang em
at high noon tomorrow! Just another example of out of control cops.
Fina Biscotti
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:41amThere should be ANOTHER INVESTIGATION:
The Department of Justice – was exposed for having a WITNESS that was BOGUS – admitted to giving FALSE TESTIMONY in federal court, admitted to LYING to investigators = an African-American female police officer – participating in a criminal conspiracy – to try and ensure that (more white) police officers were convicted in the incident at Danziger Bridge.
As soon as her admission to giving false testimony in federal court became known to Serpas as the Superintendent of the NOPD, he immediately fired her.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:33amEddie Compass as the Superintendent of the NOPD – during Katrina – is being protected by the Department of Justice – bc Compass is BLACK.
Compass had a history of altering police reports – and was exposed for doing it – when he was Commander of the First District Police District – firing police officers who refused to accommodate his schemes. It all came out in a Civil Service Commission hearing, when “white” police officers wanted their jobs back – and exposed Compass downgrading crimes and altering police reports to win a Crime-fighting Award so that he could become Superintendent of the NOPD.
Mayor Ray “Nogginhead” Nagin did nothing about this revelation – and allowed Compass to remain as Superintendent of the NOPD. Both Nagin and Compass were a disgrace during Hurricane Katrina = leaving town.
Compass should have been tried right along with these police officers……especially when pretending no one had guns but the police officers.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:19amNOTHING is mentioned about the LOOTER who shot a POLICE Officer – in the head – at point-blank range – for no reason – but to kill him.
It is treated as an entirely different incident – but indicates the CLIMATE – during Katrina – was to shoot and kill all police officers.
Report Post »mikee1
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:48amThey were doing their jobs. Were they supposed to allow MASS LOOTING? This is another LIBERAL TRAVESTY in their courts.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:11amExactly – the LOOTERS were going Hog WILD…….It was absolutely disgraceful.
Report Post »StripedSaint
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:51amI suggest you read up on the shootings. They were not looting. They were trying to cross a bridge to drier land. They shot 6 unarmed citizens including a disabled gentleman in the back and then proceeded to fabricate a story of an officer down.
Report Post »Confederate
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:48amAs a former probabtion officer, I can attest to the sleezyness of police in general. They lie, stack up charges and intimidate citizens. Cops have guns not to protect you, but to protect themselves.
Report Post »Barack Oburgundy
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:12amMost Probation Officers are folks who couldn’t pass the tests to become Police Officers in the first place. Then they sit on their fat @ss and coddle criminals, don’t do their jobs, let criminals run wild, fail to adequately supervise criminals while on probation, and even take payoffs when criminals fail drug tests, don’t report violations, and even buy drugs from their clients. If Parole Officers did their jobs you wouldn’t have nearly as many repeat criminals as our society does. Parole Officers are corrupt cowards who sit on their fat @sses and take payoffs from criminals.
Report Post »Spikey_Dude
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:42amCaught up in some Apocalyptic Dream World?
Got off easy!
Report Post »naed5048
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:27amIt has been a while since I’ve heard anything about this. To see that there is still justice left in the world..saying that, it still doesn’t bring back the faith I have in jury trials. This is good though, officers…beware…….
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:59amRetired Sgt. Arthur “Archie” Kaufman and the other four men also were convicted of engaging in a brazen cover-up that included a planted gun, fabricated witnesses and falsified reports. The five men were convicted of all 25 counts they faced.
This is just good police work, normally they would have gotten a medal
like the sniper that Murdered Randy Weavers wife while she was holding a baby.
Before the negotiators arrived at the cabin, an FBI HRT sniper, Lon Horiuchi , shot and wounded Randy Weaver in the back with the bullet exiting his right armpit, while he was lifting the latch on the shed to visit the body of his dead son.[46] (The sniper testified at the later trial that he had put his crosshairs on Weaver’s spine, but Weaver moved at the last second.) Then, as Weaver, his 16-year-old daughter Sara,[47] and Harris ran back toward the house, Horiuchi fired a second bullet, which passed through Vicki Weaver’s head, killing her, and wounded Harris in the chest. Vicki Weaver was standing behind the door through which Harris was entering the house, holding their 10-month-old baby Elisheba[47] in her arms.[48] The Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility Ruby Ridge Task Force Report (June 10, 1994) stated in section I. Executive Summary subhead B. Significant Findings that the second shot did not satisfy constitutional standards for legal use of deadly force.[49] The OPR review also found the lack of a request to surrender was “inexcusable”,
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:01amLon Horiuchi was also at WACO
On 13 September 1993, Charles Riley, a fellow FBI sniper deployed during the Waco Siege claimed that he had heard Horiuchi shooting from Sierra 1, an F.B.I.-held house in front of the compound holding eight snipers, including Horiuchi and Christopher Curran on 19 April 1993. Riley later retracted his statement, saying that he had been misquoted, and that he had only heard snipers at Sierra 1 announce that shots had been fired by Branch Davidians.[7]
Three of the twelve expended .308 Winchester shell casings that the Texas Rangers reported finding in the house were at Horiuchi’s position. However, officials maintain that they could have been left behind from the earlier use of the house by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives snipers on February 28, 1993, and that it would be “nearly impossible” to match them to Horiuchi’s rifle, as it had probably been rebarreled since that time.[8]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lon_Horiuchi
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:03amIn 1995, however, a Senate subcommittee headed by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) found “simply no justification” for the shot Horiuchi took that killed Vicki Weaver and “missed the 10-month-old baby in her arms by less than two feet.”
“Horiuchi should have known that as he fired blind through the cabin door, he was shooting into an area which could well have contained Vicki Weaver and her two younger daughters,” states the report, which took no position on whether Horiuchi should have been prosecuted.
The decision not to prosecute was ripped by both conservative and liberal groups. “It was obscene,” said author James Bovard, an outspoken critic of federal officials’ handling of the case. “There was no need for the excessive force the FBI used in gunning down a mother holding her baby. ACLU Legislative Counsel Timothy Edgar said the incident was “the result of overzealous – and unchecked – federal power.”
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:12amthen there was WACO
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=137
just what really happened there ????
Report Post »DocQuixote
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:14amWhat took so long?
I would bet this represents only a tip of the iceberg regarding the crimes, coverups and corruption persecuted upon law abiding citizens during this human tragedy. We will probably never see but a small fraction of perpetrators come to justice. But at least there has been this small measure of justice. Let’s see what kind of sentences they receive.
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:15amresearch Ruby Ridge and google WACO the untold story
In mid 1999 the report re-emerged, whereupon the four members of the Delta Force assault team involved at Waco all died in training “accidents”. The fact that they are not named in this report had probably allowed them to live so long. However as soon as the report re-appeared the “accidents” occurred, effectively “silencing their testimony forever.”
Report Post »