Five officers were sentenced on Wednesday for their role in the infamous Danziger Bridge shootings in the days after Hurricane Katrina. A rundown of the sentences from a Justice Department press release:
- Sergeant Kenneth Bowen was sentenced to 40 years in prison;
- Sergeant Robert Gisevius was sentenced to 40 years in prison;
- Officer Robert Faulcon was sentenced to 65 years in prison; and
- Officer Anthony Villavaso was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
- The fifth officer, Sergeant Arthur “Archie” Kaufman, was a supervisor who was not involved in the shooting, but who helped the other officers cover up what they had done. Kaufman was sentenced to six years in prison.
“We hope that today’s sentences give a measure of peace and closure to the victims of this terrible shooting, who have suffered unspeakable pain and who have waited so patiently for justice to be done,” DOJ’s Thomas E. Perez said in a statement. “The officers who shot innocent people on the bridge and then went to great lengths to cover up their own crimes have finally been held accountable for their actions. As a result of today’s sentencing, the city of New Orleans can take another step forward.”
