Patrol Car - Officer Found Guilty Of Lying About Post - Katrina Shooting Reuters

By Kathy Finn

NEW ORLEANS Fri Dec 9, 2011 1:12pm EST

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A jury on Friday guilty one police officer along with found innocent one more associated with lying down with regards to their own function in the civilian's harming inside the consequences connected with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The jury identified Ronald Mitchell, 34, guilty on one particular matter associated with obstruction associated with rights your decide one be counted of perjury pertaining to sharing with bodies he or she got beyond his patrol car as well as tested the condition with 45-year-old Danny Brumfield after firing Brumfield having a pistol-grip shotgun upon September 3, 2005.

Two witnesses have testified towards contrary, expressing the particular patrol model never halted following images were fired.

Mitchell looks some sort of optimum word involving twenty five several years to the two counts.

Mitchell and also official Ray Jones have been in a very patrol auto cruising previous the particular city's meeting center when crowd with individuals experienced accumulated to be able to seek out food plus shelter just following fleeing their particular overloaded homes.

Mitchell said that Brumfield, who seemed to be on that pavement with his family before the center, lunged at the representatives by using "a gleaming object" in his / her hand, prompting Mitchell to spray him with a pistol-grip shotgun. Brumfield passed away while in the street.

In accessory to his / her guilty verdicts, Mitchell appeared to be released on not one but two rates that this individual humiliated about Brumfield intimidating the particular officers.

Jones, 34, who seem to went the patrol car , was identified faithful on one count each of perjury and obstruction associated with justice.

The case came into being from the government wrongful death suit manually filed through Brumfield's widow from the metropolis involving New Orleans.

In connection having that suit, Mitchell as well as Jones bought sworn testimony around the occasions regarding Brumfield's death. Federal prosecutors subsequently delivered expenses against the officers.

Mitchell's lawyer, Kerry Cuccia, informed Reuters that if your judge enables the judgement to stand, Mitchell could appeal.

Sentencing to get Mitchell is focused to get March 7.

(Edited by Karen Brooks and Jerry Norton)