Hurricane Katrina Murders

The lead story in today’s New York Times, “Police Charged in 2005 Killings in New Orleans,” paints a chilling picture of a dysfunctional New Orleans police force during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a city widely plagued by lawlessness and desperate human needs, the police often hindered more than helped the situation. Many abandoned their posts and others added to the chaos and danger.

The indictment described in this story accuses four officers, now all in custody, of cold-blooded killing and wounding of members of the same family, the Brisettes, crossing the Danziger Bridge to get food at a nearby supermarket. Two former officers and two current ones stand accused of murder and could face the death penalty as a result. One of the officers is also accused of murdering a 40-year-old man with mental disabilities.

For those who claim oppression at the hands of the police around the country — an oppression most white people have never experienced and can not even imagine — this story provides poignant evidence in support of their views. Two homicide officers covered up the case and even met with the accused in an abandoned office to make sure their stories were consistent. A New Orleans judge dismissed the case before federal authorities became involved.

One wonders why this prosecution was not pursued during the Bush administration, and it took Attorney General Eric Holder, an appointment of President Obama to break open the case.