laura debonis. !k narrator: tonight on frontline, an exclusive investigation. in the chaotic days after hurricane katrina. people were shot and killed by the new orleans police department. narrator: .eleven civilians were shot by new orleans police officers. looting and other lawlessness will not be tolerated. narrator: .as rumors circulated about a declaration of martial law. i ve already called for martial law in the city of new orleans. i heard rumors that martial law was in place, and then i heard rumors that no, it was not. i never declared martial law. narrator: did the police believe they could suspend their own rules? does he expect us to rank and file, go through the streets, you know, shooting looters?fd-ñç narrator: new evidence shows that an order was given authorizing officers to shoot looters. one of the most troubled police departments in the history of north america. the nopd reverts back to what the existing culture has always been.
with grants from the hagler family and scott nathan and laura debonis. !k narrator: tonight on frontline, an exclusive investigation. in the chaotic days after hurricane katrina. people were shot and killed by the new orleans police department. narrator: .eleven civilians were shot by new orleans police officers. looting and other lawlessness will not be tolerated. narrator: .as rumors circulated about a declaration of martial law. i ve already called for martial law in the city of new orleans. i heard rumors that martial law was in place, and then i heard rumors that no, it was not. i never declared martial law. narrator: did the police believe they could suspend their own rules? does he expect us to rank and file, go through the streets, you know, shooting looters?fd-ñç narrator: new evidence shows that an order was given authorizing officers to shoot looters. one of the most troubled police departments in the history of north america. the nopd rev
time. he talked to one of the brothers of a witness. reporter: lance madison and his mentally handicapped brother ronald fleeing floodwaters ran head-on into what s become known as the danziger bridge killings. i said he was shot about right up in here. about right here. we kept running up the bridge here. trying to go zigzag so they wouldn t hit us. reporter: crossing the bridge they suddenly found themselves being shot at by armed men dressed in t-shirts driving a postal truck. what they didn t know was the armed men were actually police who thought they were coming to the rescue. there had been a frantic radio call that sunday morning. it was reporting police under fire. contractors being shot at on this bridge. it turns out it was all just one bigamist take in t big mistake in the chaos after katrina. some would say lies.
new orleans, but instead, as alleged in the indictment, they killed two people and wounded four others. well, this could become a death penalty case. the first investigation into the so-called danziger bridge killings led to charges but no convictions. drew griffith started to ask questions about the case right after it happened. his reporting led to the convictions. he is trying to figure out what really happened on the danziger bridge that day september 4th, five years ago. reporter: chaos engulfing new orleans that lance madison and his mentally handicapped brother ronald fleeing floodwaters ran head on into the danziger bridge killings. i d say he was shot right up in here. we kept running up the bridge here, trying to go zigzag so they wouldn t hit us.
this will not stand. we will hold all offenders accountable. but while accountability is a vital part of the reform process, it will take more than this investigation to renew the new orleans police department and to allow it to thrive. this shooting happened in just the days after katrina. we did start asking questions from the get-go. the first investigation into this so-called danziger bridge killings led to charges but no convictions. ever since the case has remained a lightning rod for controversy in new orleans. i had the chance to talk with one victim s family, a witness, and the city s police department to try to figure out what really happened on that bridge that day september 4th, five years ago. reporter: lance madison and his mentally handicapped brother fleeing floodwaters, ran head-on into what s become known as the danziger bridge killings. i said he was shot about right up in here.