Gulf Watch: No indictment in post-Katrina Gretna Bridge blockade
Speaking of criminal justice in post-Katrina New Orleans, an Orleans Parish grand jury declined to indict Gretna Police Officer Lawrence Vaughn on a charge of illegal use of a weapon in connection with his firing a gun on the Crescent City Connection two days after Hurricane Katrina, the Times-Picayune reports. The charge was related to a controversial incident in which officers from Gretna and other jurisdictions forcibly prevented people from fleeing New Orleans in the wake of the disastrous flooding caused by levee failures. The blockade -- which has triggered five civil suits -- appears to have been a violation of the U.S.-endorsed United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which guarantee that "every internally displaced person has the right to liberty of movement" as well as the "right to move freely in and out of camps or other settlements."
Labels: criminal justice, Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, human rights, new orleans
1 Comments:
On Eddies Jordan's last day in office he performed his third best act as DA. Te first was the decision to resign, and the second was chosing not to indict Dr. Pou.
As a resident of Jefferson Parish, the Gretna police and the JPSO made the right decision in blocking the bridge. There was nothing on the other side for them, and the gretna police were having a hard enough time dealing with its own residents who were looting a shopping mall and setting it on fire.
Gretna was also under mandatory evacuation, and the city of gretna was closed. During an evacuation the primary responsibility of the police is to make sure that the people who have evacuated properties are safe from looters. If that means not letting other people in so be it.
There was nothing for them anyway in gretna. No water, no food, no lights. There was only more space.
Post a Comment
Return to Facing South's main page