US Cops Charged with Post Katrina Murders and Cover Up

[C. Flower]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news...dge.Shootings/

At the time of Hurricane Katrina, while people waited in desperate conditions for help in a Conference Centre, the International media printed unsubstantiated stories of mayhem in the Centre in New Orleans. Stories of rape and assault, imbued with racist overtones, turned out to be false.

This side of the story didn't get publicised -

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 that devastated the city. In one instance, a mentally disabled man was allegedly shot in the back and stomped before he died.

Prosecutors say officers fabricated witness statements, falsified reports and planted a gun in an attempt to make it appear the shootings were justified. It was a shocking example of the violence and confusion that followed the deadly hurricane.

The case is one of several probes of alleged misconduct by New Orleans police officers that the Justice Department opened after the storm. Last month, five current or former officers were charged in the shooting death of 31-year-old Henry Glover, whose burned body turned up after Katrina.

Shocking story of alleged murder and cover up.

The indictment claims Faulcon shot 40-year-old Ronald Madison, who had severe mental disabilities, in the back as he ran away on the west side of the bridge. Bowen is charged with stomping and kicking Madison while he was lying on the ground, wounded but still alive.
His brother, Lance Madison, was arrested and charged with trying to kill police officers. He was jailed for three weeks and released without being indicted.
Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso also are accused of shooting at an unarmed family on the east side of the bridge, killing 17-year-old James Brissette and wounding four others.
All six officers are charged with participating in the cover-up.

[Indiana Jones]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news...dge.Shootings/

At the time of Hurricane Katrina, while people waited in desperate conditions for help in a Conference Centre, the International media printed unsubstantiated stories of mayhem in the Centre in New Orleans. Stories of rape and assault, imbued with racist overtones, turned out to be false.

This side of the story didn't get publicised -



Shocking story of alleged murder and cover up.

It has always been understood by people up north that Louisiana is a very dangerous place to visit, and for travelers on the state’s highways the danger increases in proximity to New Orleans. A driver passing through wanted to be sure that there were no visible safety defects showing on their auto so as to not give local "cops" any reason to pull them over. If they had any cash, they might not keep it for long.

This seems to be a result of the state and New Orleans having been a Democrat stronghold for so many years, with fraud and political corruption being a mainstay and a slush-fund. Federal money provided to improve levees around New Orleans, after falling into local the official’s hands, was often as not used for any number of things not related to the intended purpose.

Mississippi, which is a coastal state just to the east, suffered the same scale of damage as did Louisiana from Katrina, but took care of themselves, and set about putting things back in order with little complaining. They used the crisis as an opportunity to put their own people back to work. In Louisiana, the workforce which did the emergency fixing almost entirely travelled there from out of state.

In the days following Katrina, our streets, 800 miles north of New Orleans, were full of refugees' cars from Louisiana (identifiable from their license plates), and the majority of those were looking for real-estate to purchase, because they were not planning to return. It was a dangerous time down there.

[C. Flower]

It has always been understood by people up north that Louisiana is a very dangerous place to visit, and for travelers on the state’s highways the danger increases in proximity to New Orleans. A driver passing through wanted to be sure that there were no visible safety defects showing on their auto so as to not give local "cops" any reason to pull them over. If they had any cash, they might not keep it for long.

This seems to be a result of the state and New Orleans having been a Democrat stronghold for so many years, with fraud and political corruption being a mainstay and a slush-fund. Federal money provided to improve levees around New Orleans, after falling into local the official’s hands, was often as not used for any number of things not related to the intended purpose.

Mississippi, which is a coastal state just to the east, suffered the same scale of damage as did Louisiana from Katrina, but took care of themselves, and set about putting things back in order with little complaining. They used the crisis as an opportunity to put their own people back to work. In Louisiana, the workforce which did the emergency fixing almost entirely travelled there from out of state.

In the days following Katrina, our streets, 800 miles north of New Orleans, were full of refugees' cars from Louisiana (identifiable from their license plates), and the majority of those were looking for real-estate to purchase, because they were not planning to return. It was a dangerous time down there.

Very dangerous. A flood and armed soldiers running about the place.

[PaddyJoe]

Update:

A federal jury today found five New Orleans police officers guilty in the shooting deaths of two civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and a subsequent cover-up.
Four officers faced up to 25 counts each for their role in the September 4th, 2005, shootings in which two people were killed and four were seriously injured. A fifth officer was convicted of helping the others cover the incident up.
All the officers potentially face life in prison.
"Today's verdict sends a powerful, a powerful unmistakable message," said US Attorney Jim Letten, speaking to reporters outside the New Orleans courthouse.
The jury's decision means the deaths of Ronald Madison and James Brissette were the result of police willfully violating their civil rights, but that police did not arrive at the scene with the intent to murder the victims.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking51.html

[Andrew49]

It has always been understood by people up north that Louisiana is a very dangerous place to visit, and for travelers on the state’s highways the danger increases in proximity to New Orleans. A driver passing through wanted to be sure that there were no visible safety defects showing on their auto so as to not give local "cops" any reason to pull them over. If they had any cash, they might not keep it for long.

This seems to be a result of the state and New Orleans having been a Democrat stronghold for so many years, with fraud and political corruption being a mainstay and a slush-fund. Federal money provided to improve levees around New Orleans, after falling into local the official’s hands, was often as not used for any number of things not related to the intended purpose.

An example of the demonisation of a community ?

[C. Flower]

Mother Jones report on allegations of mass shootings of black males after Hurricane Katrina, by Blackwater and other private security operatives.

http://www.motherjones.com/environme...ricane-katrina

[Count Bobulescu]

Mother Jones report on allegations of mass shootings of black males after Hurricane Katrina, by Blackwater and other private security operatives.

http://www.motherjones.com/environme...ricane-katrina

Jeez, I thought you had found something new. That piece is from 2009. Here’s a TV program I posted earlier this year in the US Media thread. Link still works.

Frontline Law & Disorder An investigation into the shooting dead and subsequent cover up of two men by police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This week four police officers were sentenced to between 38 and 65 years.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/law-disorder/

[C. Flower]

Jeez, I thought you had found something new. That piece is from 2009. Here’s a TV program I posted earlier this year in the US Media thread. Link still works.

Frontline Law & Disorder An investigation into the shooting dead and subsequent cover up of two men by police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This week four police officers were sentenced to between 38 and 65 years.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/law-disorder/

Good to get the end of that story. The two police who gave evidence were also sentenced.

Katrina came to mind because of the current hurricane. The Mother Jones piece is one of the better ones I've read on its aftermath.

I wonder if Blackwater is operating in Manhattan. Do you happen to know ?

The US government approach to New Orleans strikes me as similar to that of the Thatcher government to Liverpool, after the Toxteth riots. A city that had maybe lost its historic function to some extent, and had a big population of workers, and unemployed people. No great wish to put resources into it, to give it a future. Just a matter of social control, while it winds down.

[Count Bobulescu]

Good to get the end of that story. The two police who gave evidence were also sentenced.

Katrina came to mind because of the current hurricane. The Mother Jones piece is one of the better ones I've read on its aftermath.

I wonder if Blackwater is operating in Manhattan. Do you happen to know ?

The US government approach to New Orleans strikes me as similar to that of the Thatcher government to Liverpool, after the Toxteth riots. A city that had maybe lost its historic function to some extent, and had a big population of workers, and unemployed people. No great wish to put resources into it, to give it a future. Just a matter of social control, while it winds down.

Blackwater is now called “Xe”, and has a lot of bland sounding affiliate companies such as International Development Solutions. Do not believe they are operating anywhere in the US currently.

I don’t think either Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD, or the NY public would tolerate them in NYC. They are however “big” in Afghanistan.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy...ners_with.html

[C. Flower]

Blackwater is now called “Xe”, and has a lot of bland sounding affiliate companies such as International Development Solutions. Do not believe they are operating anywhere in the US currently.

I don’t think either Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD, or the NY public would tolerate them in NYC. They are however “big” in Afghanistan.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy...ners_with.html

An Irish woman on the phone to RTE radio said there were a lot of police about in NY, but didn't mention seeing any heavily armed paramilitary merceneries.

[Count Bobulescu]

An Irish woman on the phone to RTE radio said there were a lot of police about in NY, but didn't mention seeing any heavily armed paramilitary merceneries.

Last I read, there were about 80,000 National Guards (army reserve) available for duty along the mid-Atlantic coast, but only about 2,000 had been called up, mostly in NJ.