Police officers guilty of killing Katrina survivors

Published on Friday 5 August 2011 15:27

FIVE current and former New Orleans police officers were convicted yesterday of charges in the shooting deaths of unarmed civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

All five were convicted after an elaborate cover-up, intended to make the shootings appear justified, while four were convicted of civil rights violations in the shootings themselves.

Prosecutors said police shot six unarmed people, killing two, on the Danziger Bridge less than a week after the 2005 storm. Officers also were charged with participating in a cover-up to make the shootings appear justified.

Defence attorneys claimed the officers were shot at before they returned fire and acted reasonably in the face of a deadly threat.

Defendants Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Robert Faulcon and Anthony Villavaso were found guilty of the shooting of civilians and participation in the cover-up. Sergeant Arthur Kaufman was found guilty of the cover-up.

The verdicts came in one of the darkest sagas that came to light in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.