When you can’t count on law enforcement to protect you, then who can you count on? Allegedly, for some people during the post-hurricane Katrina emergency in New Orleans, the situation was even worse. The United States Department of Justice, (DOJ), on July 13 charged six New Orleans police officers with shooting innocent civilians on the Danziger Bridge during the days following hurricane Katrina. Two people died and four were wounded.
The officers are accused of firing on an unarmed family, killing 17-year-old James Brissette and wounding several others. In a second, related shooting, officers shot at brothers Lance and Ronald Madison. The charges say that Officer Robert Faulcon shot Ronald Madison in the back as he ran away and kicked him while he died on the bridge.
Officers Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Robert Faulcon, and Anthony Villavaso were charged in connection with the shootings while supervisors Arthur “Archie” Kaufman and Gerard Dugue were charged with obstruction of justice after the events.
Motives in the shootings were unclear. According to the indictment the officers arrested Lance Madison at the scene and charged him with eight counts of attempting to kill the police. The evidence may have been falsified and added months later by the officers. Lance Madison was held for three weeks until the charges were dropped.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The four men charged with the shootings could go to prison for life or face the death penalty. The officers face additional penalties for conspiracy for the actions on the bridge and for conspiring to frame Lance Madison and Jose Holmes with false evidence. Kaufman and Dugue also face conspiracy charges with maximum sentences of 120 years for Kaufman and 70 years for Dugue.
“One year ago, FBI New Orleans made a commitment to dedicate all the necessary resources to ensure this matter was thoroughly and fairly investigated to a logical conclusion. Today’s indictments indicate that we continue to honor that commitment,” said David W. Welker, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, in a DOJ statement.
The officers are accused of firing on an unarmed family, killing 17-year-old James Brissette and wounding several others. In a second, related shooting, officers shot at brothers Lance and Ronald Madison. The charges say that Officer Robert Faulcon shot Ronald Madison in the back as he ran away and kicked him while he died on the bridge.
Officers Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Robert Faulcon, and Anthony Villavaso were charged in connection with the shootings while supervisors Arthur “Archie” Kaufman and Gerard Dugue were charged with obstruction of justice after the events.
Motives in the shootings were unclear. According to the indictment the officers arrested Lance Madison at the scene and charged him with eight counts of attempting to kill the police. The evidence may have been falsified and added months later by the officers. Lance Madison was held for three weeks until the charges were dropped.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The four men charged with the shootings could go to prison for life or face the death penalty. The officers face additional penalties for conspiracy for the actions on the bridge and for conspiring to frame Lance Madison and Jose Holmes with false evidence. Kaufman and Dugue also face conspiracy charges with maximum sentences of 120 years for Kaufman and 70 years for Dugue.
“One year ago, FBI New Orleans made a commitment to dedicate all the necessary resources to ensure this matter was thoroughly and fairly investigated to a logical conclusion. Today’s indictments indicate that we continue to honor that commitment,” said David W. Welker, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, in a DOJ statement.
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