Ex-New Orleans Cop Michael Hunter Sentenced In Coverup Of Danziger Bridge Shootings

NEW ORLEANS — Michael Hunter stood quietly as a judge sentenced the former New Orleans Police officer Wednesday to eight years in federal prison for his role in the coverup and deadly shooting of unarmed civilians after Hurricane Katrina.

The sentence by U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance was the maximum allowed and nine months more than the sentencing guidelines recommended.

Vance called the police shooting on the Danziger Bridge that killed two and wounded four civilians, "sickeningly brutal."

"It is hard to imagine a more profound breach of public trust than what happened here," Vance said.

Hunter admitted firing at the people on the bridge, although he knew they were unarmed and posed no threat, but said he did not hit anyone. But Vance pointed out that he did nothing to stop his fellow officers from firing, in fact watching "an officer shoot Ronald Madison in the back at close range."

Ronald Madison, 40, and mentally disabled, and James Brissette, 19, were killed and four wounded as they crossed the bridge in search of food five days after Katrina struck Aug. 29, 2005. The officers claimed they opened fire only after being shot at.

Lance Madison, who accompanied his brother, Ronald, and was arrested for attempted murder, testified less than a month later that a group of teenagers started shooting at them before they met police.

Hunter, who pleaded guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors, is one of five former officers who have pleaded guilty in the shootings. Six other current or former officers also have been indicted on charges related to the shooting and coverup.

Before the sentence was read, Hunter told the victims' families and his wife that he was sorry.

"I apologize for not having the moral courage to do the right thing from the beginning," he said.

The Madison family, including Lance Madison, sat in the court's front row. Lorna Humphrey, Madison's sister, said the family appreciated Hunter's coming forward, acknowledging that the truth might not have come out otherwise.

But, she said, Hunter did nothing to comfort her brother as he lay dying, other than intervening when a sergeant began kicking Ronald, using "as much force as he could muster."

"The horror of that scene continues to haunt us to this day," Humphrey said.

Hunter is to report to the Bureau of Prisons on March 14. Prosecutors said they could ask for a sentence reduction if Hunter continues to cooperate and testifies against other officers.

Comments

[Billy Colorado]

10:55 PM on 12/04/2010

Nothing but cold blooded murder from those expected to uphold the law. How is it that I am surprised this has happened? It seems just about every time I turn around someone that we are expected to trust and depend on to carry themselves in a lawful manner has killed, beaten, harmed, or used their position of authority as a bully pulpit to harass and intimidate citizens within their communities. Why do fellow cops and the citizens of their communities stand by, passively mute, even to smallest infractions of someone’s civil rights and liberties? I onced lived in the city of Santa Fe, TX. Where officers Eric Bruss and John Gates beat a man one night. There was an investigation and trial. The man beaten was found not guilty of any crime and a civil trial followed. The court awarded the man beaten $175,000. I went to the website of SFPD and I found that their current police roster indicated that both Bruss and Gates are still employed and both are in leadership positions of Sergeant! How can this be? Who would let these liabilities to continue in such a position? This is my story but there are too many just like it. How much longer will we let rogue cops keep their positions of authority without holding them accountable for their actions and remove them from positions that effect the personal liberties of every American?

[RedneckLiberal]

08:22 AM on 12/03/2010

In many states, if someone you are 'partners-in-crime' with kills a person during the commission of a robbery or any other crime you are also guilty of murder. Why should it be any different for every one of these cops? Every one of them that stood there and didn't put a stop to this is guilty of murder. Life for all of them.

But as we all know, Law enforcement officers always get a slap on the wrist in comparison to the average citizen. It should be the other way around - any person who abuses authority vested in them by the people should face life imprisonment as the minimum sentence.

[SoutheastBeast]

12:45 PM on 12/02/2010

Finally, a sentence that matches the crime in a police brutality case. I wish this judge had presided over the Oscar Grant trial.

[Meagan Wien]

12:30 PM on 12/02/2010

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

To the public - I've read all of the comments. I see the outrage and distrust of police, that existed before this happened. We are extremely saddened for the families' early loss of their loved ones. May God grant them some peace. Please know we think about you and your family daily and have over the past five years. We could not, nor try to, imagine the heartache you have had to endure.

Buff - I know this journey has not been easy. In the end, we are relieved for you and all involved that you found the strength to tell the truth and give the families' a little bit of well deserved solace. I know this was not easy for you, N, and the kids. I know today was difficult on everyone. But, I also know you as a father, husband, and brother. I think it took a lot of courage for you to stand up and try to set the record straight. Please know Mom, Dad, E, and I are and will always be there for you, N, and the kids. A lot of people give their opinons without understanding reality or you. You have always had good heart and we will always love you.

FYI - those of you that think this was a hate crime, Michael's wife and fellow cops are black.

[Littlewords]

11:47 AM on 12/02/2010

Big question is does the DA follow through and get convictions for the actual trigger pullers in the crime against innocent citizens.

[Monk2001]

11:27 AM on 12/02/2010

I expect this southern state and it's prosecuters to seek the death penalty against these white former police officers. As they would if it was a black man shooting and killing and beating a mentally handicapped person and a 19 yr old in cold blood.

[July August]

11:01 AM on 12/02/2010

Cops are bullies. You take uneducated guys with attitudes, give them weapons and pretty much free reign to do whatever they like (since they cover for each other, and even Internal Affairs covers for them), what do you expect? They have far too little education and training, far too much power, and almost no oversight. I say we require police officers to have a minimum four-year college degree, more conflict resolution training than violence training, and a few courses on civil rights. It's far too rare for police officers to face consequences for their unlawful actions, even when those actions are as heinous as these.

[ingsoc84]

11:26 AM on 12/02/2010

Not all cops are bullies, I guess it depends on where you live. Town that I live in, cops that patrol my neighborhood is never discourteous, town that I used to live before can't catch a break from them.

[kyeshinka]

10:59 AM on 12/02/2010

He's only apologetic because he was convicted. I don't believe such people are capable of feeling remorse. I think the same about Cheney.

[Marnie1]

10:57 AM on 12/02/2010

It's nice to see a criminal cop get convicted of something. But the reason these criminal acts for violence by cops against civilians is that in their world police know they can lie and get away with the brutality, and then turn around and charge the victim with multiple bogus crimes.
Police and Politicians are well protected criminal classes and are historically symptomatic of the decline of a country.

[Marnie1]

10:58 AM on 12/02/2010

He'll probably go to a country club prison, cops protect cops.

[GraphicMatt]

11:05 AM on 12/02/2010

At the very least he will be kept segregated from the rest of the prison population.

[DanGreen]

10:52 AM on 12/02/2010

I lived in New Orleans in the 1980s. It was well known then that if you looked up "corrupt" in the dictionary, it said "See New Orleans Police Department." I hope and pray that one of the beneficial by-products of Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing breakdown of law and order has been to instill a new culture in the NOPD.

[GraphicMatt]

11:07 AM on 12/02/2010

Wasn't that sort of the big running joke in NOLA for years and years before Katrina. There was even a movie (think it was called The Big Easy with Dennis Quaid) where they sort of glorified the corruption?

[ingsoc84]

11:27 AM on 12/02/2010

Or even the movie "Internal Affairs"

[Donns]

09:55 AM on 12/02/2010

I used to visit NO on a fairly regular basis. Never again. I'm not afraid of much but the cops there really scare me.

[chaucer1]

09:46 AM on 12/02/2010

NOPD is too corrupt to believe. Because of them we no longer visit that nearby city, where we used to spend pleasant days and considerable money.

[Patriot86]

09:24 AM on 12/02/2010

Good, these an imals who should not ever have been police officers should face long prison terms.

[AndyWright68]

09:11 AM on 12/02/2010

This is what cops do when they think they can get away with it. And they get away with it far often than you think.

[Monk2001]

11:29 AM on 12/02/2010

I don't trust police officers for the most part. Saddly this doesn't surprise me at all.