New Orleans Police today released the results of an internal investigation into what happened in the Crescent City Connection Bridge over the summer when protesters and cops clashed as NOPD stopped activists from crossing the Mississippi River
“Our department did not have a policy in place to guide a response to protests which resulted in department failures on the bridge that night,” Chief Ferguson explained in a press conference.
“There was a lack of planning and tactical decision-making which resulted in an unprecedented incident that has never occurred in the city of New Orleans.”
Police Chief Shaun Ferguson says officers fired tear gas, foam impact rounds, and rubber ball rounds at the protesters who tried to push their way through the police line on June 3.
The protesters were marching against police violence in wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
“We have implemented a new policy governing our response to protests,” said Ferguson. “This policy makes the safety of everyone involved – and not involved – in these incidents of civil unrest our number one priority.”
“It (policy) calls for open and clear communication and ensures specialized weapons -- such as tear gas -- will only be used as a last resort where life is in danger,” said Ferguson.
The chief says since that incident on the Crescent City Connection Bridge; the department has trained a new division of cops to respond to such incidents of civil unrest.
He adds because there were no clear policies in place that night, no officers will disciplined for what he called ‘failures in the NOPD response and communications strategy’ with the crowd. The chief says he and the department learned that they needed better training in dealing with civil unrest.
After the press conference, the NOPD sent a statement, which reads in part:
The investigation findings are as troubling as they are disappointing. Even while working with our partners in the Consent Decree – the NOPD did not have an adequate “Use of Force Policy” to govern the use and reporting of specialized weapons, such as “tear gas” and “impact rounds”.
Here is a list of watchdog agencies also involved in the investigation:
- Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition
- The Vera Institute of Justice
- Courtwatch Nola
- The MacArthur Institute
- The Public Defender’s Office
- The Promise of Justice Initiative
- The Innocence Project New Orleans
- Voice of The Experienced
- The ACLU
- Community Recallers
