Danziger Bridge Shootings (2005)
Sun Sep 04, 2005
Image: Danziger Bridge, New Orleans, in April 2012 [Wikipedia]
The Danziger Bridge Shootings were murders that took place on this day in 2005 at the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans, six days after Hurricane Katrina struck the city.
The killings happened when members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), allegedly responding to a call of an officer under fire, shot and killed two civilians - 17-year-old James Brissette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison. Four other civilians were also wounded. All of the victims were black and unarmed, and one, Ronald Madison, was mentally handicapped and shot in the back five times.
The NOPD attempted to cover-up the murders, falsely reporting that seven police officers responded to a police dispatch reporting an officer down, and that at least four suspects were firing weapons at the officers upon their arrival.
An attorney for the Justice Department described the case as "the most significant police misconduct prosecution [in the U.S.] since the Rodney King beating case". On April 20th, 2016, the five former officers pleaded guilty to various charges related to the shooting, and in return received reduced sentences ranging from three to twelve years. Three of the officers are white and two are black.
- Date: 2005-09-04
- Learn More: www.nola.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.npr.org.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org
