Police supervisor pleads guilty in Danziger Bridge probe; plea deal blows case wide open (Katrina)

[Sgent]

Source: New Orleans Times Picayune

Retired New Orleans police Lt. Michael Lohman has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Danziger Bridge shootings, which left two people dead and six others injured after police fired on a group of civilians trapped in the submerged city days after Hurricane Katrina.

<cut>

Lohman, who helped orchestrate an elaborate cover-up of the crime, supervised the investigation and was at the scene on Sept. 4, 2005, according to an 11-page bill of information unsealed today.

According to the document, Lohman was aware that a subordinate planted a gun at the scene. He also wrote a 17-page police report full of lies about the incident and encouraged officers at the scene to remove shell casings.

He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus possible restitution. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 26.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/02/police_supervisor_pleads_guilt.html

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This is huge... expect many more prosecutions to come.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. K&R

[Suich]

2. It's about time!

K & R!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Political_Junkie]

5. I second that!

:applause:

[peacebird]

3. excellent.

Wheels of justice turn slowly, but at least they still turn.

[tom_paine]

4. The Old American Republic is still out there.

It still exists in the integrity of the acts of the investigators who uncovered the henious acts behind the cover-up.

Good news!

[dipsydoodle]

6. K & R

:thumbsup:

[onethatcares]

7. that grand jury just did America proud.

I wonder how many other times this happens and the "official" version is accepted.

[ixion]

8. That is great news

It's good to see some justice for the victims.

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

9. didn't someone once say something about the "arc

of a moral universe"?

Long indeed; hopefully worth the wait.

[mfcorey1]

34. the arc of justice

The arc of the moral universe is long,
But it bends toward justice.
-Abolitionist Theodore Parker, c. 1850's

[tblue37]

10. K&R nt

[efhmc]

11. When justice somes to the people, it is a happy day.

[localroger]

12. Wow

I grew up less than a mile from that bridge. The neighborhood had really gone to crap, even before Katrina, and I've just known this was fishy from the day the first news broke. I hope they can nail the shooters and make the point that even in a disaster, a badge doesn't give you a hunting humans license.

[suffragette]

13. More info on possible additional prosecutions

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/02/lohmans_plea_in_danziger_bridg.html

"In this case, we now know they've got a cooperating police officer and they very well may have some video or audio surveillance. The news couldn't be much worse for them -- it's bad, and it could get even worse."

Ciolino and Rosenberg both noted that it's been several weeks, at minimum, since Lohman agreed to cooperate, and his cooperation could date back as far as May. It's thus plausible that he agreed to have his conversations with other officers recorded, though both lawyers said it's impossible to tell from the documents filed thus far.

~~~

Prosecutors have already sent target letters to at least two other officers involved in the Danziger incident -- Sgt. Robert Gisevius, who was among the officers who fired their weapons on the bridge on Sept. 4, 2005, and Sgt. Arthur Kaufman, who led the investigation into the matter.

The bill of information charging Lohman makes clear that charges against other officers will be forthcoming.



Sounds like Lohman is singing away.

[barbtries]

14. are any of them up on murder charges?

because they need to be.

[lonestarnot]

15. Damn! And here I thought the wheels of justice had been Tarantinoed.

[gleaner]

16. What is just restitution for someone's life? ...

He should be charged with conspiracy and murder, as should the others responsible. Was that the bridge to Gretna that we saw pictures of where they were shooting at the people who were trying to save their lives by crossing over to the white suburbs on the other side? I saw a helicopter firing shots at a them even though they were on their knees with their hands behind their heads. I read about it on the blogs. The news media hushed it up as quickly as they could. Their best skill. It was one of the most appalling things I have ever seen.

[NOLALady]

18. No.

It's not the bridge to Gretna. The bridge to Gretna crosses the river from New Orleans.

The Danziger bridge is near New Orleans East. It crosses the Industrial Canal.

I am afraid Lohman may not serve time because of a plea deal. I would like to see everyone involved to serve time in the general population.

If the Madisons were not middle class, I doubt there would have been an investigation. Relatives have told me many eye witness accounts of police misconduct during and after the storm. It's like they devolved into savages. Savages with guns.

[gleaner]

33. Thank you for the information ...

I live in LA and have never been to New Orleans. I don't think I have ever seen anything as horrific or heard so many sick celebrations of what happened as I heard when the Republicans began to comment. It defies human understanding. I hope that Lohman at least serves time. Even then there are so many others who need to be brought to justice. From George Bush on down, and the media which tried to present the people who were getting what food and medicine that they could as criminals. I saw a video of uniformed NOPD officers looting, but it was on a blog. The news media could not be bothered to show it.

[Flora]

36. This is far beyond party affiliation,

the cover up is the result of decades of abuse within the NOPD. Jim Letten, the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted this case is a republican which worried me, but he has stepped up to the plate and is weeding out crime in Louisiana. This case has remain a bloodied, beaten to pulp, black eye on the face of justice in our area for years and I hope the families may find comfort with this guilty plea..

[gleaner]

42. I understand ...

I wasn't blaming the police conduct on the Republicans, I referred to Bush in the context of his refusal to help survivors to get out of the city or to rebuild or give them any meaningful help from the government.

In LA we had a terrible earthquake in 1994. FEMA treated us very differently under Clinton. Without them I don't know what we would have done. I know that the NOPD has been having problems for years. Bits and pieces of news trickled out and I compared them in my mind to LAPD which has also had some problems of the same kind.

Thank you for writing an answer to my post and helping me to clarify what I meant. I hope that the injured families find comfort too, and that they can begin to get some justice and peace. You take care.

[NOLALady]

39. Here's a map.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/02/danziger_bridge_shooting_plea.html

I lived about a mile from there. towards Eastern N.O., before moving to Slidell.

Also, I don't personally know Romell Madison, but I've been to his office many times as my dentist is a partner there.

[gleaner]

43. Thank you for the link ...

Both the map and the article were very informative. I have a better picture now of what happened. I really hope that the families some find peace now. Nothing will ever be the same for them again, and for me who was brought up to trust the police there is a particular feeling of sadness and betrayal when I hear of police misconduct to this or any other degree. As I grew older I learned that police were like any other group and could not simply be trusted. The fact that they are armed makes them singularly susceptible to misuse of their authority and abuse of civilians.

[christx30]

37. I saw one video

of a female officer in uniform, no less, looting from a Wal-Mart in the days after the hurricane. The cameraman was following her around the store asking her why she was stealing everything. She was trying to ignore her, but like a good reporter, he wasn't letting her off the hook.
More stuff like that needs to happen. I never heard what happened to her, if anything.

[NOLALady]

40. A cousin stayed in a high rise hotel

in New Orleans East during the storm. She told horror stories about the conduct of the officers who also stayed in the same hotel. They took over an entire floor. They were partying and drinking. When they ran out of supplies, they 'confiscated' the supplies of others who were stranded in the hotel. The people were terrified of the LEOs.

It was the 'looters' who took care of the people in that hotel. She said the young teen boys went out every day in a boat to scavenge for supplies to keep them alive.

[gleaner]

45. That was my impression of most of the looters too ...

they were gathering food, medicine, diapers, water when they could find it and they wore a look of uniform desperation. The boys probably kept most of the people in that hotel alive. At one point even the doctors who had come to treat the injured survivors had to break into drugstores to get the prescriptions and medical supplies they needed to give treatment. FEMA was not helping them in any way. I saw one video of a young doctor in a white lab coat go into a pharmacy, take the medicine he needed and leave a note for the pharmacist. He told the reporter who asked him about it that he wanted them to know he had taken the medicine and would try to find a way to reimburse them if they wanted him to. I never knew if they asked him. Most of the people of New Orleans seemed to be trying to help each other and pull together. They were not the lawless rabble the police and FEMA tried to depict them as. I understand there were some exceptions, but in many places it would have been a lot worse and that was one of the most terrible times I have ever seen.

I have experienced some severe earthquakes, but at least they weren't underwater. There was really no way to escape the hurricane or its aftermath. For me Katrina was much worse than anything I have ever experienced or imagined.

[gleaner]

44. The video I saw ....

was three uniformed male officers half running around a store pushing and piling things into a shopping cart. They were not survival items, but recreational items and things they probably wanted and intended to divide later. The cameraman in this case did not question them. They were armed and the atmosphere was not conducive to his safety if he had done so.

[alp227]

17. This sinks below the floodwaters.

Throughout the nation cops have been harassing people of color with racial profiling and excessive force. Also, there was this case today where police arrested a middle school student in Maryland for not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with his class. My local police have been involved in some excessive force controversies lately too.

But the officers involved in aforementioned cases seem so moral compared to Lt. Lohman. He'll enjoy getting tortured by fellow prisoners who'd say "ooh a convicted felon cop" like middle school girls whose eyes fall on Robert Pattinson's face.

That's how cops get away with stuff that normal people would serve hard time for. Covering up, lying, and leaving investigations up to each other.

How well does it reflect on America for a justice system whose definition of "obstruction of justice" equates Bill Clinton's not-so-truthful statements in court to a police cover-up for a violent incident that harmed natural disaster victims?

[peacetalksforall]

19. Who gave the orders to the police to go to these extremes. Move it on up and get the order givers &

find out if it came from Cheney's Homeland Security division.

[winyanstaz]

25. great point...

WHO gave the order to treat the victims of Katrina so badly?

[madrchsod]

20. justice!..........

[mistertrickster]

21. Just think--if only these folks had been fundamentalist white wackos shooting at the BATF and FBI,

the FReepers would have had a legal defense fund and tee shirt sales.

But since they were disabled, unarmed black folks just trying to survive . . . yeah . . . police had to stop the "looters." Nothing to see here.

[Blue_Tires]

22. ttt

[Hekate]

23. The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small. Thanks for this news. nt

[winyanstaz]

24. Some justice at last :)

It won't bring the murdered citizens back...but at least there is one honest judge left. And it is a step in the right direction.
Now to hold the rest of the assholes that let so many die accountable.

[rhett o rick]

26. This story brought a tear to my eye. I am so cynical, that I never thought this would be brought

to light. Someone deserves credit for pursuing this.

[lib2DaBone]

27. And who was in charge... who flew over in Air Force one?

And who gave the order to shoot un-armed civilians? I seem to remember something in the Law books about "Aiding and Abetting"?

OK.. that won't work... so how about the law that says, Accessory-after-the-fact if the person in charge knew or "Should Have Known" that a felony was committed or was going to be committed... that person is guilty of murder, same as the perpetrator.. as if that person participates in the murder?

OK.. that won't work.. how about the law that says Culpable Negligance... if a person is in a position to know or should have known that murder of innocent civilians was going to take place.. that person is guilty of Culpable Negligence...

You get the picture.. Laws are for the "Little" people..not for our leaders.

[northofdenali]

28. The uncovering proves -

there are STILL PATRIOTS in the US. And they ain't damn teabaggers! :applause::patriot::applause:

[Richard Steele]

29. "Expect many more prosecutions to come"...BULLSHIT.

I expect this SINGLE, perfunctory "act of justice"
is the last we'll ever hear of this disgraceful incident.

By his own plea, the man is guilty of many things, not the
least of which are two counts of "accessory to murder".
But all the so-called Court has labelled him with is
"Obstruction of Justice"?

PFFT!

That's not "Justice servded", it's just a token trial
designed to serve as an excuse to close the folders
on the entire incident.

He'll do no prison time, and will continue to collect his pension.

[BadGimp]

30. Justice has been slow to arrive for those people..

eom

[sce56]

31. Good news! We just have to wait and see if the Spanish judge indites the Bush Admin for war crimes

Crossing my fingers on that one!

[snot]

32. K&R'd.

[panzerfaust]

35. Amazing.

Perhaps this is the New South?

Now, if only we could prosecute those responsible for likely at least one million deaths in our illegal invasion of Iraq.

[panzerfaust]

47. Wrong I was. Not amazing, Not any evidence for The New South

As reported on CNN, The cops and their lying superior officers had all been saved by a traditional Ole Boy Southern judge who had dismissed all charges against everyone.

It was the FEDS who stepped in to make this happen "Federal prosecutors opened an investigation after the judge's actions."

Even more disturbing: "... it's unclear whether any officers will be charged for the shooting itself. 'There's no evidence the officers shot out of malice..."

No evidence of malice?! - even though one of the victims of this police shooting and killing rampage was "... shot seven times -- five times in the back"

This just leaves my head spinning.

[sonias]

38. It has been a long time coming

I'm happy that these families are finally getting some kind of justice. It won't make up for the loss of their loved ones.

But conviction and getting to the truth is an important step.

[Uncle Joe]

41. For people that don't believe conspiracies by those in power exist anymore, here is evidence

of one.

What can happen at the micro level is possible at the macro level as well.

Thanks for the thread, Sgent.

[No Elephants]

46. Crap masquerading as human beings. No sentence could be too long.