Police confess to cover-up in Katrina killings
In the nightmarish chaos that ensued after Hurricane Katrina, the city turned to police for order and protection. But on Wednesday, it became evident that trust was violently broken as some New Orleans police officers allegedly acted more like a lawless gang.
Former police Lt. Michael Lohman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of conspiracy to cover up police involvement in shootings on Danziger bridge. Those police fired on unarmed civilians stranded by the deadly storm, killing two and injuring four others.
ProPublica’s Steve Engelberg edited many of the stories that led to investigations of the city’s police force. He joins the show along with Danatus King, president of the NAACP’s New Orleans chapter. Together they discuss the depth and seriousness of the police misconduct.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!