http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-police-charges-katrina,0,5642412.storyTwo New Orleans police officers have been charged with perjury and obstructing justice in connection with a civil suit filed by relatives of a man killed after Hurricane Katrina swooped through New Orleans, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
The current case is part of the federal civil rights investigation into the New Orleans police department’s actions after the hurricane hit the city in 2005.
On Sept. 3, 2005, Officers Ronald Mitchell and Ray Jones were in a patrol car working the area around the convention center where hurricane refugees had sought shelter from the storm and the fierce waters that broke through the levees and flooded the city.
According to the indictment, Mitchell shot and killed Danny Brumfield on Convention Center Boulevard that night.
During a deposition in November 2007, Mitchell swore that Brumfield lunged at him with a shiny object and that the officer fired his shotgun in an effort to protect himself. Mitchell also testified that immediately after the shooting, he exited the patrol car and checked Brumfield’s vital signs.
In June 2007, Jones gave sworn deposition testimony stating that he stopped the patrol car immediately after the shooting and covered the crowd while Mitchell checked on Brumfield.
According to the six-count indictment announced Thursday, Mitchell and Jones gave false depositions during the federal civil lawsuit filed by Brumfield’s wife against the city.
The indictment alleges that the officers intentionally provided false and misleading information regarding the events that took place immediately prior to, during and after the fatal shooting.
Mitchell faces four felony counts, two for committing perjury and two for obstructing justice. Jones faces one perjury count and one obstruction of justice count.
Mitchell and Jones face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Michael.muskal@latimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment