Cops May Face Death Penalty In Post-Katrina Shootings - Polidicks

[QUOTE=The Huffington Post](AP) NEW ORLEANS -- Four New Orleans police officers could face the death penalty after being accused of gunning down two unarmed people in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the latest twist for a corruption-plagued department that already faces several federal investigations. The four officers were charged along with two others in a 27-count indictment unsealed Tuesday. The indictment charges Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bowen, officer Anthony Villavaso and former officer 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, though U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek that punishment. 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. [b]In one instance, a mentally disabled man was allegedly shot in the back and stomped before he died.[/b] [b]Prosecutors say officers fabricated witness statements, falsified reports and planted a gun in an attempt to make it appear the shootings were justified.[/b] 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. With 80 percent of New Orleans underwater, officers from a department with a history of corruption were forced to battle rampant crime, and some became criminals themselves. Dozens of officers were fired or suspended for abandoning their posts. [b]In the bridge shooting case, seven officers were charged with murder or attempted murder in December 2006 but a state judge threw out all the charges in August 2008. Federal authorities then stepped in a month later to launch their own investigation.[/b] So far, five former New Orleans police officers have pleaded guilty to lesser charges of helping cover up the shootings on the Danziger Bridge and await sentencing. The latest indictments come shortly after the city's new mayor replaced its former police chief and invited a Justice Department team to overhaul the police department. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department is working with city officials to restore residents' trust in the police department. "Put simply, we will not tolerate wrongdoing by those who are sworn to protect the public," Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday in New Orleans. Sgt. Arthur Kaufman and retired Sgt. Gerard Dugue, who helped investigate the shootings, were charged with participating in a cover-up to make it appear the shootings were justified. Charges against them include obstruction of justice. It's not the first time the Justice Department has intervened. In the 1990s, the Justice Department investigated several high-profile police corruption cases, including a police officer convicted of arranging a woman's 1994 murder. The new batch of federal probes are bearing fruit as the city welcomes a new mayor, Mitch Landrieu, and his new police superintendent, Ronal Serpas. At Landrieu's request, the Justice Department launched the top-to-bottom review of the department. Mary Howell, a civil rights attorney who represents relatives of one of the Danziger bridge shooting victims, said the police department has been plagued by a pattern of "episodic crises" that have eluded lasting reforms. [b]"There is either a refusal or inability by local authorities to take care of them,"[/b] she said. "I think it's a question of leadership. This stuff requires institutional changes that require the political leadership of the community to make it last." Eric Hessler, a lawyer for Gisevius, said the indictment wasn't a surprise. "We have long anticipated that this day may come," he said. Claude Kelly, a lawyer for Dugue, called it "a travesty" and denied his client participated in a cover-up. "This is just overreaching, Monday morning quarterbacking by the government," Kelly said. Faulcon, who resigned from the department shortly after the storm, was arrested at his home in Houston. Gisevius, Bowen and Villavaso surrendered at FBI headquarters in New Orleans. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said prosecutors will ask for all four of them to be detained. Some of the defense attorneys bristled at the arrest of Faulcon. "They really didn't have to do that," said Frank DeSalvo, a lawyer for Bowen. "Nobody is going anywhere. We've never thought about doing anything other than face these charges." Kaufman and Dugue weren't arrested. A date for the men's initial court appearances wasn't immediately set. 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. [b]Bowen is charged with stomping and kicking Madison while he was lying on the ground, wounded but still alive.[/b] 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. [b]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.[/b] All six officers are charged with participating in the cover-up. Dugue retired from the force earlier this year. Kaufman has been on paid sick leave.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/cops-may-face-death-penal_n_645690.html[/url] tl;dr: In the aftermath of Katrina four police officers shot at and killed two black people on a bridge and fabricated witnesses to justify the shootings and the case was dismissed by local authorities. Then federal prosecutors launch their own investigation and now four of New Orleans' finest face the death penalty or at least life in prison. I'm glad these four are not above the law, as is the case so many times with police officers shooting black people.

[QUOTE]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.[/QUOTE] Well I'd say skinning them alive is a fitting punishment how bout you guys?

Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355234]Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.[/QUOTE] How the fuck is that harsh? They should be killed with fucking garrot wire as a punishment.

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355234]Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.[/QUOTE] Yeah I mean corrupted authorities should be able to get away with killing two completely undeserving civilians for no reason right

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355234]Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.[/QUOTE] So if I go to your house and gun down your parents, you wouldn't want me to get death penalty? Then how about if I continued, by planting a gun so that it'd look like I was doing it in self defence. I say it's fair.

Death penalty is exactly what they deserve.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;23355283]Yeah I mean corrupted authorities should be able to get away with killing two completely undeserving civilians for no reason right[/QUOTE] Because the Justice System is completely black and white, right? It's not like they could be sent to prison for life or anything, nope. It's either death or freedom :downs:

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355234]Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.[/QUOTE] Actually they shot at 6 civilians, four of them were injured.

I guess it wasn't just the looters who went out of control during the disaster some of the police decided to go wild too. It's scary to think of what would happen if society broke down on a larger scale again like that.

Cunts

Incoming people who don't believe in the death penalty. For god's sake don't argue with them, it won't work.

[QUOTE=DamagePoint;23355490]Actually they shot at 6 civilians, four of them were injured.[/QUOTE] Having the first line mention only two doesn't help much. And there sure are some black-white people in here, jeez.

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355234]Death penalty for shooting 2 unarmed civilians? Talk about harsh.[/QUOTE] Well, compared to american law I don't think it is. I don't think they should have the death penalty at all, but relative to american law, i guess it's fair.

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355682]Having the first line mention only two doesn't help much. And there sure are some black-white people in here, jeez.[/QUOTE] Maybe you should have actually read the article before commenting on it.

[QUOTE=dutchah;23355682]Having the first line mention only two doesn't help much. And there sure are some black-white people in here, jeez.[/QUOTE] They shot and stomped a disabled dude, and planted a gun. There is no grey area here, they deserve an excruciating death.

[QUOTE=bravehat;23355911]They shot and stomped a disabled dude, and planted a gun. There is no grey area here, they deserve an excruciating death.[/QUOTE] Uh...no

[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23355983]Uh...no[/QUOTE] [QUOTE] In one instance, a mentally disabled man was allegedly shot in the back and stomped before he died.[/QUOTE] :downs: Yeah grey area in there somewhere right?

[QUOTE=bravehat;23356011]:downs: Yeah grey area in there somewhere right?[/QUOTE] Haha, yeah, lets torture them because that doesn't make us worse than them by far or anything

[QUOTE=bravehat;23355160]Well I'd say skinning them alive is a fitting punishment how bout you guys?[/QUOTE] yeah let's stoop down to their level great idea are you 12

[QUOTE=JDK721v2;23356138]yeah let's stoop down to their level great idea are you 12[/QUOTE] It's not even their level, it's much below their level

[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23356155]It's not even their level, it's much below their level[/QUOTE] Not really, at least they will have deserved it. I'm not saying that's what we should do though. edit: All I'm saying was the six people that were shot did nothing to deserve what happened. The police did a heinous crime. Torture is bad.

[QUOTE=DamagePoint;23356174]No not really, at least they will have deserved it. I'm not saying that's what we should do though.[/QUOTE] They do definitely not deserve a terrible, terrible death. [editline]09:13AM[/editline] If anything they deserve a painless one

[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23356077]Haha, yeah, lets torture them because that doesn't make us worse than them by far or anything[/QUOTE] Wait, you assume I care? I'm a retributionist, they killed someone for no reason, that gives us a reason to end them. If that's too graphic for you then a firing squad will do fine. [editline]05:16PM[/editline] [QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23356186]They do definitely not deserve a terrible, terrible death. [editline]09:13AM[/editline] [B]If anything they deserve a painless one[/B][/QUOTE] I must politely disagree.

[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;23356186]They do definitely not deserve a terrible, terrible death. [editline]09:13AM[/editline] If anything they deserve a painless one[/QUOTE] Part of me that wants to see them executed, but really they should get life in prison. I'm just glad they just allowed to act above the law and not have any consequences for their actions just because they took an oath to protect the people.

[QUOTE=bravehat;23356214]Wait, you assume I care? I'm a retributionist, they killed someone for no reason, that gives us a reason to end them. If that's too graphic for you then a firing squad will do fine. [editline]05:16PM[/editline] I must politely disagree.[/QUOTE] you are 12

It was thrown out, because of confusion.

[QUOTE=bravehat;23356214]I'm a retributionist, they killed someone for no reason, that gives us a reason to end them. If that's too graphic for you then a firing squad will do fine. [/QUOTE] no, it doesn't. you have no right to decide who gets to die. you're a hypocrite and a blood thirsty 12 year old.

[QUOTE=Perfumly;23356280]you are 12[/QUOTE] Calling someone 12 because you don't agree with their positions. Very mature. [editline]04:19PM[/editline] [QUOTE=JDK721v2;23356289]no, it doesn't. you have no right to decide who gets to die. you're a hypocrite and a blood thirsty 12 year old.[/QUOTE] Actually the people have the right to decide.

[QUOTE=bravehat;23356214]Wait, you assume I care? I'm a retributionist, they killed someone for no reason, that gives us a reason to end them. If that's too graphic for you then a firing squad will do fine. [editline]05:16PM[/editline] I must politely disagree.[/QUOTE] Torturing murders isn't even fair to them, sure they killed someone, but torture is WORSE than being killed.