New Orleans - Chief Warren Riley blasted former Lt. Michael Lohman for his attempt to cover up circumstances surrounding the Danziger Bridge shooting.
Riley says, "His actions were intolerable, criminal and did not represent the core values of this police department."His actions were intolerable, criminal and did not represent the core values of this police department."
By entering a guilty plea, Lohman admitted to encouraging officers involved in the shooting to fabricate the story, to plant a gun and submit false police reports. The shooting left 2 people dead and 4 others severely wounded.
At the time of the shooting, during the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Riley was second in command. He says he was only briefed about the shooting but never actually read a report.
Riley says, "You have to realize we were trying to get housing. We were trying to deal with officers whose families were displaced. There was so many things going on."
Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission doesn't understand why Riley didn't see a report.
He says, "This was the most significant event from a police perspective that occurred during Katrina. To me it's unfathomable that no one above the rank of that officer reviewed that report."
Goyeneche says there are plenty of questions still unanswered. Now that Lohman has agreed to cooperate with the feds, the investigation is far from over.
In the meantime, the NOPD will have to deal with damage control.
Riley say a lot has changed within the department in the last 4 and half years but Goyeneche believes the next Police Chief has a lot of work to do.
