Five Officers Found Guilty Post-Katrina Shootings \r
Almost six years after the Hurricane Katrina and five weeks after the start of the trail, five of the officers involved in the deadly shooting on a New Orleans bridge after the storm were convicted by a federal grand jury today. Almost a month ago a witness testified that the victims on the bridge were unarmed and a federal jury found the officers to be at fault.
Robert Faulcon, Robert Gisevius, Kenneth Bowen, Anthony Villavaso and Arthur Kaufman were all convicted on charges involving covering up the shootings. Four of the five had been charged with civil rights charges and were convicted on all counts.
Faulcon said that he was “paralyzed with fear” when he shot and killed a Black, mentally disabled 40-year-old man. He was the only defendant to testify.
In total, 20 officers have been charged by the Justice Department in a series of cases involving the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
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(Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Landov)