Michael Hunter, Obstruction of Justice, Louisiana 2005

A New Orleans police officer has been charged with obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony in connection with the Danziger Bridge shootings after Hurricane Katrina.

According to the bill of information, Michael Hunter, a 33-year-old officer from Slidell, Louisiana, was involved in a police-involved shooting on September 4, 2005, that left two civilians dead and four others seriously injured.

The incident occurred when Hunter and other officers fired at a group of civilians who were walking across the Danziger Bridge to get food and supplies. The officers then traveled to the west side of the bridge, where they encountered Lance and Ronald Madison, who were crossing the bridge on their way to the dentistry office of one of their other brothers. An officer shot and killed Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old man who had a severe disability.

Hunter is accused of conspiring with other officers to provide false and misleading information about the shootings and covering up other information to ensure that the shootings would appear to be legally justified. He is also charged with misprision of a felony.

The maximum sentence for the charges is eight years in prison and a fine of $500,000. The investigation is ongoing and is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Trial Attorney Forrest Christian of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Hunter is scheduled to face trial for the charges. The outcome of the case is still uncertain.

Mandatory Facts: The defendant is Michael Hunter, the charges are misprision of a felony and conspiracy to obstruct justice, the city and state are New Orleans, Louisiana, the exact date of the crime is September 4, 2005, and the sentence for the charges is up to eight years in prison and a fine of $500,000.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/new-orleans-police-officer-charged-danziger-bridge-case