KATRINA

New Orleans Police Trial Begins

Prosecutor: officers shot first, asked questions later.

The trial of the five New Orleans police officers charged with killing two men and wounding four others on the Danziger Bridge in the days following Hurricane Katrina began Monday, with prosecutors alleging the officers’ decided to “shoot first and ask questions later.” Attorneys for the five officers said their clients’ actions were justified, and insisted the situation must be viewed in the context of the chaos after Hurricane Katrina. On the morning of Sept. 4, 2005, prosecutors say police began firing indiscriminately after receiving a call that a group of men who had fired shots under the interstate were headed toward the Danziger Bridge. Other officers have already pleaded guilty, and they allege the NOPD then tried to cover up what happened. At least two are scheduled to testify for the prosecution in this trial.