4 Cops Charged in Post-Katrina Bridge Shootings

Four New Orleans police officers have been charged with federal civil rights violations in the deadly shootings of unarmed people on a bridge in the chaos after Hurricane Katrina, officials said.

The indictment unsealed Tuesday charges Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen and officers Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon with deprivation of rights under color of law and use of a weapon during the commission of a crime. They could face the death penalty if convicted.

Sgts. Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue were charged with joining them in a cover-up. Charges against them include making false statements.

Five former New Orleans police officers already have pleaded guilty to helping cover up the shootings on the Danziger Bridge that left two men dead and four wounded just days after the August 2005 hurricane.

Those officers said in statements that they saw numerous civilians lying bloody and wounded on the bridge, but did not see any guns on or near them.

Their pleas appeared to be laying the foundation for more serious charges against those accused of actually doing the shooting and engineering the cover-up.

"Put simply, we will not tolerate wrongdoing by those who are sworn to protect the public," Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

Attorneys for Bowen, Villavaso and Faulcon did not immediately return phone calls for comment. An attorney for Gisevius declined comment until after he had a chance to read the indictment.

[erwerwrwer]

well i am glad to see them being charged...i hope they get a proper punishment,instead of these easier charges that ..."we the people"... could never get...i feel that...BAD COPS-DA'S-JUDGES...should pay...double endemnity because theyu swear to an oath...and lets forget the law enforcement who do a good job at helping citizens like they were hired to do...this example makes everybody look bad...and if te judge and the da gives them a light sentence,then possibly they should be fired too..!...it's a different ball game out here today..and bad cops,are happening too often..there's a couple of websites to make public complaints about bad cops..RATEMYCOP.CO M...POLICEABUSE.CO M...."we the people"...pay thse organizations to serve and protect...not to abuse and kill us...!

[alancontact]

Do I detect a bit of racism on here?

[imthaid]

I am not sure why we need to await trial to execute these officers. Clearly, cops in america think they can be judge, jury and executioner; so, they should get the same treatement. No trial! A public hanging by the public will do just fine. Just imagine the court costs and expenses that will be saved.

[larrryshrine]

Hate to tell you this, but you and I are protected by a document called the Constitution, along with the Bill of Rights. The law of our land says everyone has a right to counsel, to a defense, to due process and to be judged by a jury of his peers. This goes for the very innocent to the worst of the worst. We cannot ever waver from these principles, or we are on our way to chaos.

[Perish1]

I don't understand why they aren't being charged with murder. Since they are of mixed race including at least 2 black men, It will be interesting to see if Eric Holder will drop the charges.

[rationall7]

Katrina was 2005 so why didn't they get charged for murder in 2005 thru 2008 interesting to see if Eric Holder had re-opened the case.

[peguesplace]

Me, I'm gonna tole you, dem wheels of justice sho' do move slow, lak dey's greased with cane syrup fum Abbeville....