Officers indicted over post-Katrina deaths

A deadly gunfight on a bridge in the anarchy-filled days following Hurricane Katrina became a symbol of New Orleans’ loss of control. Now, more than a year later, seven police officers face charges in the shootings.

A grand jury indicted the officers on murder or attempted murder charges yesterday in the September 4, 2005, deaths of two men and the wounding of four other people on the Danziger Bridge.

One victim was a mentally-disabled man, Ronald Madison, who was shot seven times – five times in the back, the coroner said.

“We cannot allow our police officers to shoot and kill our citizens without justification like rabid dogs,” District Attorney Eddie Jordan said.

Police tell a different story, and defence attorneys say their clients are innocent. Police Superintendent Warren Riley said Jordan’s comment was “highly prejudicial and highly undignified”.

The indictments further scar the reputation of the city’s police department. More than 200 officers on the 1,500-member force were disciplined after the hurricane for various offences, including failure to show up for work, and some were accused of joining in the looting.

According to police, the officers went to the bridge that day believing they were answering a call that two fellow officers had been injured. When they arrived, they saw seven people running, and four people began firing at police, the report said. The officers returned fire, killing Madison, 40, and James Brissette, 19.

An officer fired at Madison only after Madison turned toward them and reached into his waistband, they say.

As with many events in the days after Katrina, reports of what happened vary widely. At the time, the sweltering city was still littered with corpses as rescuers tried to evacuate stranded residents and looters ransacked stores. The storm hit on Aug. 29.

Madison’s brother, Lance, has said they were crossing the bridge on their way to another brother’s dental office when a group of teens ran up and began shooting.

As the brothers fled, Lance Madison said, seven men jumped out of a rental truck and also began firing at them.

He denied his brother was armed.

Police Sgts Kenneth Bowen and Robert Gisevius and officers Robert Faulcon and Anthony Villavaso were charged with first-degree murder.

Officers Robert Barrios, Mike Hunter and Ignatius Hills were charged with attempted murder.

State District Judge Raymond Bigelow originally set a 24-hour deadline for the officers to surrender, but he agreed today to extend the deadline until Tuesday morning, said Frank DeSalvo, attorney for one of the defendants.

A spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin declined to comment.