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Officers Charged in Perjury Scheme
Two New Orleans Police Officers, Ronald Mitchell and Ray Jones, have been charged with committing perjury and obstructing justice in connection with the fatal shooting of civilian Danny Brumfield in September 2005, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to the six-count indictment, Mitchell shot and killed Danny Brumfield on September 3, 2005, on Convention Center Boulevard in New Orleans. During a deposition in November 2007, Mitchell gave sworn testimony alleging that Brumfield lunged at him with a shiny object and that he fired his shotgun in an effort to protect himself.
The indictment alleges that Mitchell knowingly provided false and misleading information regarding the events that took place immediately prior to, during, and after the fatal shooting. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Jones gave sworn deposition testimony stating that he stopped the patrol car immediately after the shooting and covered the crowd while Mitchell checked on Brumfield.
However, the indictment alleges that Jones’ testimony was also false and that he did not stop the car, get out, and cover the crowd. Mitchell faces four felony counts, two for committing perjury and two for obstructing justice, while Jones faces one perjury count and one obstruction of justice count.
The maximum penalty for the charges against Mitchell and Jones is up to 20 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the New Orleans Field Office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Magner for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Christopher Lomax of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana and was announced by Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and David Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.
The case is a reminder of the importance of honesty and integrity in law enforcement and the consequences of violating those principles. As a society, we expect our law enforcement officers to uphold the highest standards of conduct and to tell the truth, even in the face of adversity.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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