Why we have guns, during natural disasters...

[KeithPA]

Glad that Bush signed the bill restraining LEO and .mil from confiscating weapons during states of emergency.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/18/nopd.shooting/

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN.

It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day.

"He just fell like he was collapsing," Kasimir Gaston told CNN. "Like something just wiped him out." (Watch Gaston describe what he saw )

Gaston was one of many flood refugees living on the second floor of the Friendly Inn, a low-income motel on the city's east side. On Sunday, September 4 of last year, he says he woke up and stepped onto the balcony of the motel and saw a man running, hands outstretched and being fired upon.

Initial police accounts said that Madison reached for his waistband and turned on police, but Gaston said Madison did not appear to have a weapon and that he was running away from police "hands out, full speed" when he was shot.

Police declined CNN's request for an interview.

After the shooting last year, police said officers had responded to reported gunshots on the Danziger Bridge and that a running gunbattle ensued with six suspects.

One teenager was killed near the base of the bridge and three other people were wounded, according to police reports.

A police department press release from October 4, 2005, said Madison, described as an unidentified gunman, was "confronted by a New Orleans Police officer. The suspect reached into his waist and turned toward the officer who fired one shot, fatally wounding him."

When asked if Madison had a gun, Gaston said, "I didn't see any on him."

No gun was found on Madison's body.

An autopsy obtained previously by CNN and verified by the Orleans Parish Coroner said Madison suffered five gunshot wounds to his back and two in his shoulder. (Watch police describe a running 'gunbattle')

'What I saw with my own eyes'
Gaston said he came forward now because he is still troubled by what happened. He said he decided to break his silence after watching a "CNN Presents" documentary, "Shoot to Kill," about the days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005.

CNN has visited the room where Gaston was staying. From that balcony, it is about 100 feet to where Madison was shot and killed.

The police department has said the shooting has been thoroughly investigated. But Gaston said no officer or detective approached him about what he saw. He was not asked for his name or phone number, Gaston said.

Gaston said his only contact with police on that day was when officers told him not to touch Madison's body, which was lying behind Gaston's truck, parked in the motel entranceway.

CNN has obtained a newspaper photo taken that Sunday morning that shows where the body fell. The back of a truck with a rusted trailer hitch and broken tail light can be seen in the photo. The photo appears to be Gaston's truck, which now sits in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas, where he now lives.

"They notified me that I had two bullet holes in the passenger side," he said. Two bullet marks can be seen at the right rear of the truck today.

Mary Howell, an attorney suing New Orleans police on behalf of the dead man's family, says there were several potential witnesses living at the Friendly Inn at the time of the shooting. She has accused police of violating procedures by failing to even write down their names.

Howell said Ronald Madison and his older brother, Lance Madison, were trying to avoid the shootout between police and others that day when they ran up the Danziger Bridge, toward the other side of the Industrial Canal.

Lance Madison has said a policeman pointed what looked like a rifle or shotgun at his brother and shot Ronald near the top of the bridge. Lance said he helped carry his wounded brother to the entrance of the motel and left him there while he ran for help. After being arrested, Lance was brought back to the motel where, he says, he first saw his brother was dead.

Howell said police, in the chaos after Hurricane Katrina, failed to properly investigate the fatal shooting and are now trying to put everything behind them.

"There's a lot of things that have been washed away with this hurricane," Howell said. "We are doing everything we can to make sure this is not one of them."

While the family of Ronald Madison presses on with its lawsuit, a grand jury in New Orleans is investigating the case. Gaston said he is willing to testify before the grand jury if it will help get to the truth.

"I'm not trying to say nobody did this and nobody did that," Gaston said. "I'm just saying what I saw and being truthful and honest about what I saw with my own eyes."

Saw this story when they had CNN's special about the hurricane. Sad how out of control some LEOs and the looters were in the documentary.

[aubie515]

I read this on other forums as well. Talk about a crime...LE taking firearms from it's citizens so that LE could save their own butt. I saw a documentary about Katrina and how the police were so scared that they just defending their police department, while people were being raped and killed. Please don't think of my comments as anti-police...I actually have friends in the LE community. Natural disasters will bring out the best and worst in people.

[Steve in PA]

NOPD has/had one of the worst PD's for corruption, etc in the nation. Katrina brought everything to a head. There are planty of good NOPD officers out there, however a few have tarnished there image.

There was alot for everyone to deal with. There were reports of snipers shooting at the PD, etc. It turned into one helluva mess. Officers left their depts to go looking for their family, etc.

[KeithPA]

Most of the LEO were great, saving people and overcoming great odds. Some though went over the line.

I think i saw the same documentary. One station had was under sniper fire. While another station was abandoned and took up shelter in a hotel, were the police then proceded to loot at night.

Just like some citizens were helpful and courageous, while some looked and shot people.

[aubie515]

Harrisburg PD sent some officers down to NO....my buddy volunteered to go down. He said he saw some terrible things.

I know that there are always two sides to every story and the media doesn't always get it right. I am greatful that something like that has not occured in PA. We do have to be concerned about blizzards, so I hope most of us are ready if a blizzard occurs.

[MiniDevil]

It's a shame what happened in NO, and what is still happening.

www.givethemback.com shows the NRA fighting against the NOPD to get them to give back all the ILLEGALLY CONFISCATED firearms. The court already ordered the firearms returned, but the police keep on giving bogus excuses like demanding original sales reciepts with matching serial #s and etc... after these guys' homes were just destroyed! Seriously, your house is gone and the cops expect you to show them an original sales reciept?

There are reports of, after the illegal confiscation, departments that were abandoned seized working automobiles and fuel from citizens, commandeered a block of houses, and posted officers with shotguns to guard and keep civilians away (before martial law was ever even declared). Basically a Fend For Yourself operation. Exactly one of the reasons many of us have firearms, to protect us and those we love in times of trouble.

I recommend everyone goes to that link.

To those that think the NRA always have a worst-case outlook on things, but in this situation, it IS a worst-case outlook. Law-abiding citizens were disarmed and then left to fend for themselves. You think the police were able to disarm the gangbangers with illegal weapons?

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. -- Barry Goldwater

[fultonCoShooter]

what about the video of the news catching 2 cops looting walmart?

[MiniDevil]

what about the video of the news catching 2 cops looting walmart?

lmao didn't see that one.

[fultonCoShooter]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...+looting&hl=en

[MiniDevil]

Hahaha, thanks for the laugh! That was great!

Those appeared to be some ghetto officers, there.

"And what are you doing today?"

"Ummm.. I'm doing my job."

"Looting?"

"Looking for looters. Youre a looter too. Go away."

Pretty much thats that outlook of those 'officers'.