Inquiry Begins Into Police Refusal to Let Katrina Evacuees Enter Town

Inquiry Begins Into Police Refusal to Let Katrina Evacuees Enter Town

A grand jury investigation into the actions of suburban police officers who barred New Orleans residents fleeing Hurricane Katrina from entering the town was announced late Thursday by Dist. Atty. Eddie Jordan.

Law enforcement officials from Gretna prevented the evacuees, most of them black, from crossing a Mississippi River bridge into the predominantly white suburb.

The New Orleans residents, who tried to escape the city three days after Katrina hit, said their path was blocked by armed officers, some with dogs.

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Finally...and this took how long to prosecute?

Yep, it finally took this long. Sad isn't it? I saw this in person when I left after the storm. Wednesday morning, I had taken US90 (that is the bridge) to get to the westbank in order to get out of the city. I can tell you that it was the only way out of the city if you weren't getting out by helicopter. Now what I saw:

As soon as I got to the onramp, I already saw people walking up, and at that point I knew they were trying to cross, or at least get to higher ground that wasn't covered in the cesspool that was already there. Once on the highway on the approach to the bridge itself, yes, there indeed were police officers on the bridge, guns drawn, with a load of people stopped on foot. There were old ladies, children, and every age that fell in between. What bothered me the most is that I was in a car, and they waved me on! So people were allowed to cross in vehicles (if I would have known this, I would have filled my car before getting on the bridge), but walkers weren't allowed.

What disturbs me is that this has become almost generally accepted, and I have a feeling that is why it has taken so long to bring up a grand jury. Less emotion, less desire, more likely to let it all fizzle out and be forgotten. Eddie Jordan is one of our more crooked politicians (I know which one isn't?). More than likely, this is a deal already cut somewhere to lessen any charges that will occur. It would not surprise me in the least.

This was also not an isolated incident. Two friends of mine worked at a funeral home in New Orleans and were on duty to stay through the storm. When the water came up, they actually took a coffin, and floated out in it. This was close to the parish (county) line of Jefferson Parish. Fortunately, the JP Police that were at the line (Metairie Rd.) had worked escorts for the funeral home, so they got through. The officers also had guns drawn and were prepared to turn them away (which would be back into the flood zone). This hasn't really been brought to the forefront, which also makes me question why the bridge was OK to prosecute over, but not everywhere else where it was happening.

A note of clarification to make my story make sense, the City of Gretna is inside of Jefferson Parish, where the two sheriffs Harry Lee (Jefferson) and Lawson (Gretna) are pretty tight and work a lot together.

Sorry, I know it sucks when you can't get sources on some of this, but in reality I am the source. I will also admit that I do have some bias, but then again, I don't think that anyone that went through this here could escape without some form of bias.

Hope that leaves some insight into one of the horrific days that went down here, and I don't mind answering any other questions if they come up and I am able to answer them.

*EDIT* One additional point that I would like to bring up, when you cross that bridge, guess where you are? That's right Orleans! That is the one point that I really can't understand. Why they would have crossed their boundaries to block people from crossing?

[edit on 8/4/06 by niteboy82]