Danziger Bridge Shooting: 6 New Orleans Police Officers Charged

by NowPublic Staff | July 13, 2010 at 11:36 am

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Post-Katrina Shootings On Danziger Bridge: Eric Holder To Announce Federal Charges Against New Orleans Police

The grim and troubling Post-Katrina Danziger Bridges police shooting took another turn on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder held a news conference announcing a series charges against 6 officers in the New Orleans police force. Four of the officers have been charged with Federal Civil Rights violations in the shooting of unarmed citizens on New Orleans' Danziger Bridge. Two have been charged with helping to cover it up.

The indictment unsealed Tuesday charges Sgt. Robert Gisevius, Sgt. Kenneth Bowen and officers Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon in the shootings. Sgts. Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue are charged with joining the others in a cover-up.

The Danziger Bridge shooting occurred days after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005. Police opened fire on a group of people on the bridge killing 2 men and wounding 4 others.
Police say the believed the people on the Danziger Bridge were armed that turned out to be a lie in fact numerous police officers involved the incident conspired to cover-up the shooting.
Five former New Orleans police officers plead guilty to covering up the shooting - admitting the people on the bridge were not armed. In fact, one man was severely disabled.
According the testimony of Michael Hunter ( one the officers who plead guilty) the officers who responded shot on unarmed civilians.

According to Hunter's sworn statement, "(Sgt. Kenneth Bowen) suddenly leaned over the concrete barrier, held out his assault rifle, and, in a sweeping motion, fired repeatedly at the civilians lying wounded on the ground."

Hunter also admitted seeing another officer believed to be Robert Faulcon, shoot a severely disabled man in the back with a shotgun. The victim was identified as Ronald Madison.

According to Hunter, as Madison lay dying on the ground, Bowen attacked and "appeared to be striking Madison's torso with as much force as he could muster."

List of Six Existing and New Orleans Police Officers Indicted