NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A New Orleans police officer who killed an unarmed man during a police shooting after Hurricane Katrina told a jury on Wednesday he felt "indescribable fear" in the moments before the shooting.
Robert Faulcon, testifying in the trial of five officers accused in the 2005 shooting, admitted he fired the shotgun that killed Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old man with a mental disability, even though Madison had not fired at him.
James Brissette, 17, was also killed during the shooting and four other civilians were seriously wounded.
Faulcon said he had seen civilians with guns when he first arrived at the bridge, and he believed his life was in danger.
"I became paralyzed with fear, really, that we were going to be shot at," he said.
Faulcon is the first defendant to take the stand in the trial of five officers charged with civil rights violations in connection with the shooting, which took place when much of New Orleans was still underwater, and an alleged cover-up.
Also on trial are officers Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Anthony Villavaso and Arthur Kaufman.
The shooting occurred when a dozen officers responded to a radio call that police had been fired on and that the shooters were headed toward the Danziger Bridge. Faulcon was among the officers who jumped into a rental truck and sped to the scene.
"I knew we were going into a bad situation. I just expected to be shot at," he said.
Mike Hunter, who drove the truck that day and is among five officers who have pleaded guilty to a role in the incident, testified previously that he fired a series of "warning shots" into the air as the truck arrived at the bridge.
Faulcon, who rode in the back of the truck, said when he heard the initial shots he couldn't tell where they were coming from. When he jumped to the ground he caught sight of two people with handguns, he said, and that's when he first fired his Mossberg shotgun.
"I feel horrible," he said. "When I saw guns, I might have been right and I might have been wrong, but I wouldn't have shot at unarmed people."
Under questioning by defense lawyer Lindsay Larson, Faulcon said he had no role in preparing several versions of a report which stated that civilians on the Danziger Bridge had weapons and that officers who shot guns were returning fire.
Poised and respectful through several hours of testimony, Faulcon, who had eight years of active military service before becoming a New Orleans officer in 2000, said he had never fired a weapon in the line of police duty until the day of the bridge incident.
"My heart goes out to the people that were hurt and to the families of the people that were hurt," Faulcon said.
In cross-examining Faulcon, lead prosecutor Barbara Bernstein tried to get him to admit that he fired deliberately at Madison and others even though he knew all the civilians were unarmed.
Faulcon stuck to his position that at the time he believed his life and lives of other officers were in danger.
The devastated, chaotic state of post-Katrina New Orleans was a recurring theme in Faulcon's testimony. He said his wife, who was nine months pregnant, evacuated the city the day before the hurricane to be sure she'd have access to a hospital.
When flood waters began to rise, Faulcon sought safety on an upper floor of a hotel. When water reached the second floor, he had to swim out to reach a rescue boat.
Faulcon said he wore the same water-stained clothes for several days as he helped rescue civilians trapped by the water. More than three weeks passed before he got word that his wife had given birth to their son.
Shortly thereafter, he resigned from the police force and joined his family. They relocated to Houston, where Faulcon became a truck driver.
(Editing by Karen Brooks and Cynthia Johnston)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.