Cops in Katrina shooting win legal round (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Posted on Thu, Jun. 07, 2007

Cops in Katrina shooting win legal round
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS -- Lawyers for three police officers charged in fatal
shootings at a bridge in the chaos after Hurricane Katrina can have
the complete transcripts of two grand jury witnesses, a judge ruled
Thursday.

The transcripts contain evidence that would either be favorable to
the officers or would impeach the testimony of other witnesses, Judge
Raymond Bigelow said in his ruling.

The lawyers representing Sgt. Kenneth Bowen, Officer Michael Hunter
and Officer Ignatius Hills had seen redacted copies of the testimony,
but Bigelow ordered that they be given complete versions.

-snip-

The officers are among seven charged with murder or attempted murder
in the Sept. 4, 2005, shootings on the bridge that killed two men and
wounded four other people.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/132256.html

[shance]

1. What about all the Blackwater shootings/murders that happened during Katrina?

Have they been confronted in any capacity?

[youngdem]

2. I live here and have been here since immediately following the storm

what are you talking about?

To my knowledge (and I work in the recovery), there have been very limited engagements with non-police peace officers, private or not. The national guard shot a guy who brandished a gun at a soldier on patrol (guy didn't die) and there are a few guys shot a week by the cops a month, but...

Can you point me to a link?

Thanks.

[shance]

3. Would be happy to. Here is one for starters, In the meantime, google Blackwater and New Orleans.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091005A.shtml

[youngdem]

4. There is NOTHING about murder in that article, and the article is from Sept 2005

There are only a handful of mercs left in the city. Surprisingly, Blackwater is contracted to do security at the libraries! Oooooh, scary.

Look, I don't like private merc armies at all....they should be illegal. But you said there had been deaths at the hands of these men, and I am still waiting for some proof. You asserted it, so please provide me with a link showing that this happened. Don't tell me to google it, I live here and work in the recovery and I have heard NOTHING about this and I am at City Hall four or five times a week, working with Dem City Council members. I don't think it has happened.

The article you linked to was from 2005 Sept, less than a month after the storm hit. Yes, in the few weeks following the storm, some private neighborhoods (Audubon Place in particular) hired Blackwater goons to guard their neighborhoods, because the police were overwhelmed and there was ongoing looting in the city on the scale of post-invasion Baghdad. But these guys haven't patrolled since 2005 - I know, I was here the whole time driving in and out of the hardest hit areas for work every day. After the new year, those guys disappeared into rent-a-cop mode. The National Guard is still here, but those guys aren't doing much at all to protect us. You simply see them driving around eating, or sitting on the side of the road sleeping or eating. They are just glad not to be in Iraq, and due to Posse Comitatus, they can do almost NOTHING to help with the city's security except for acting like a glorified version of a neighborhood watch.

Again, the only mercs left in the city are on contract with the city to guard specific installations (libraries and hospitals and so forth) because of the reduced police force - simply glorified rent-a-cops.

[shance]

5. What was Blackwater doing down there in the first place? The looting was a bogus excuse to frighten

and hurt and even kill totally innocent citizens who had not only lost their homes but their family members.

What if it had been you and your family? And on top of that you have soldiers playing military exercise with your family members and your lives?

Think about it.

Don't believe George Bush when he says 'we have to fight them over there so we don't fight them over here'.

From their actions it seems clear they have every intention of bringing the fighting 'over here' - look at New Orleans and realize that they already have.

[frustrated_lefty]

6. What if it had been you and your family?

Ok, I may be really off here, but it sounds like you're talking about something of which you have no direct personal experience to a person who lived through it. Perhaps I'm wrong, in which case I apologize, but that's how this dialogue comes across.

More importantly, out of everything that's come out of Katrina, you've chosen an incredibly trivial matter to focus your outrage upon. It's nearly 2 years later, and the only thing I can think about is damage control. Focus on the living for now, there's time for retribution later.

[youngdem]

8. Thank you for your comment.

I do wish that people who had time to care about New Orleans would take issue with the fact that Bush created a program (ROAD HOME) to cover the federal damage to homes as a result of the failed levees, and he underfunded it, so half the people in this city can't afford to fix their homes and come back.

PLEASE call your reps and ask that the Congress fully fund Road Home.

THANKS.

[youngdem]

7. They were private security hired by the rich...If I had a $5M home, I would hire SOMEONE to watch it

And your comment about the looting is simply WHOLLY uninformed, to put it nicely. This city was RAVAGED by looting, and it still continues to some degree in the less-populated areas of the cities on upper floors of flooded homes. You don't know what you are talking about. Looting/burglary continue to be one of the most vexing problems for the city, and a real morale destroyer for someone who has decided to return, only to have their copper plumbing and A/C coils stolen from their homes.

I work for a homebuilder (among other clients) and his company is building homes for HUD, but as soon as they are complete, EACH AND EVERY ONE is broken into, plumbing is stolen and appliances too. EVERY TIME. If there isn't an armed guard in front of the home, you can bet that on Monday the worksite will have been looted. That is a really big problem.

As to your question 'what if it had been you and your family' I don't know to what you are referring. If you are referring to Katrina and related crimes, it DID happen to my family, and continues to. IF you are talking about the supposed murder by Blackwater the original poster was speaking about, it didn't happen. (I checked around again today). So, I'm lost there.

The Blackwater guys were NOT running around town, and I have been here since the city was still flooded in parts. They simply are providing security for assets in certain areas where they need to be - in order to allow the real police who still remain (about 50% of original strength) could do the real police work. I have seen them doing security at the library, a city warehouse, and a private neighborhood. In short, THESE 'mercs' are nothing but rent-a-cop security guards. The real crazies are in Iraq.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want a merc police force....BUT THAT ISN'T WHAT IS GOING ON AT ALL HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. NOT AT ALL.

As far as 'bringing the fight over here' I am at a complete loss as to what you are pointing to illustrating that is happening in New Orleans. IT'S NOT!

[shance]

9. Ravaged by looting. Please PROVE the looting happened by anyone other than those

needing the most basic of necessities.

There is no proof because it was a lie. It didn't happen the way the Bush Administration or any other media outlet or profiteer wanted to promote it.

However, there were many innocent citizens murdered and intentionally left to die because they were not only "expendable" but obstacles to those wanting to profit from such a horrific event.

Like anyone would even give a rats damn about a TV, VCR and/or an electronic system when they had lost their families, their pets, their whole lives. Give me a break and give those blessed families some much deserved fairness that they have yet to remotely receive. Frankly how incredibly cold hearted and ridiculous to fall for such an excuse.

It is easier though, because then one don't have to view the reality and cruelty that actually occured on American soil.

Just to clarify, there was NO electricity and no way to use any of those so called appliances they were "supposed" to be looting.

And please explain to me how in the Sam Hill did they cart all the "looting" treasures off? Especially with Blackwater and other militarized enforcement patrolling exclusively in the region?

In the yacht that they "looted" as well??

What a fantastic novel. Unfortunately it couldn't ever hold up in the world of reality.

It is far too convenient to create an illusion of "baaaad looters" who were actually victims of a horrible disaster partially (or in whole) manufactured and quite profitable for those who could then steal land and become even more rich than they already are.

[EFerrari]

10. Well, there was that video of cops looting. lol

:)

[youngdem]

11. Let me tell you, the looting was NOT just of basic necessities

They looted the hardware store next to my office and took a shit in all three cash registers. They have broken into every single one of our homes under construction and stolen copper wiring and/or A/C elements or plumbing.

We have discovered STOCKPILES of stolen goods in homes we are renovating.

I don't understand what your point about electricity is....They were stealing them either to sell or use later. ALL of the stores on Canal were looted. Shoe stores, jewelry stores, electronics stores. Then, they set fire to many of them. Why? I dunno.

Also, your 'point' about carting off items is just ignorant of the ingenuity of the average thief. These guys come into our new homes and rip the cabinets off the walls, take the AC coils out of the ceiling, toss it all over the back 6 foot wood privacy fence, and disappear. And your 'point' about all of this Blackwater Security continues some fantasy you have about an omnipresent private security force patrolling every inch of the city. The truth will make your tin foil hat wilt. The truth is Blackwater DOES NOT PATROL...DOES NOT. NEVER. The police and National Guard do, and the police are so overwhelmed that it takes them an average of FOUR HOURS to show up for our calls, which average twice weekly for theft, vandalism, burglary, assault/robbery of our employees, etc. The cops are NO WHERE to be seen in most parts of the city, because they are still about 40% undermanned, and the guys that are working are burnt out, many still living in trailers.

The looters who stole food? NO ONE faults them. Sadly, an honest survey of the city shows that was a SMALL fraction of what took place, and continues to. Looting today in New Orleans is still a HUGE crisis, often proving to be the last straw for many trying to return.

Your snide tone in the face of your overwhelming ignorance of the subject is both unnerving and amusing. You should come down here some time and take a look around. You will see quickly you know NOT what the fuck you are talking about.

I don't understand the dog you have in this fight to somehow prove that Blackwater is down here turning New Orleans into occupied Baghdad, but it ain't fuckin' happening like that, so quit badmouthing our city with your ignorance.

[shance]

12. Um......who is "they"?

You were close by apparently from what you say.

Did you happen to take any pictures - have a video cam by chance?

[youngdem]

13. I am done talking to you. I don't have to prove shit to you

('They' are the looters by the way. Seems you aren't good at context clues)

You are the one who has never been here asserting all of this nonsense.

I live here and have most of my life.

I work in the recovery.

You are talking out of your ass based on what you read on idiot blogs by people who project their paranoia about mercenary armies onto the New Orleans catastrophe.

And no, I was not videotaping the looting, pinhead. The world's press was, though.

Enjoy your fantasy island. PLEASE quit spreading your ignorance about our city's recovery, though...It doesn't help.