ATLANTA — Six officers were charged Tuesday in connection with shootings that occured just days after Hurricane Katrina touched down in New Orleans in 2005, the Department of Justice reports.

The infamous Danziger bridge case — which resulted in the deaths of two civilians and the wounding of four others — reached a milestone Tuesday, as Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Robert Faulcon and Anthony Villavaso were charged in connection with the shootings. The four cops and their supervisors, Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue, were also charged with attempting to obstruct justice, a charge that stems from their efforts to cover up the incident.

The court ruled that the four cops open fired on a family on the Danizger bridge, killing a 17-year-old and wounding four others, including another 17-year-old. Minutes later, the cops shot two brothers, killing one, a 40-year-old man with severe mental disabilities, the DOJ reports.

The two supervisors, Kaufman and Dugue, are charged, along with the four cops, with using a cover up in an attempt to make the shootings seem warranted.

The DOJ reports says Kaufman brought a gun from his home, but later told investigators he found it on the bridge. The six men also allegedly met in an abandoned building to corroborate stories before meeting with investigators.

The four officers, Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso, face life in prison or the death penalty. Kaufman faces 120 years, while Dugue faces a maximum of 70 years in prison.

About The Author

Sachin Seth is the Blast Magazine world news reporter. He writes the Terra blog. You can visit his website at http://sachinseth.com or follow him on twitter @sachinseth

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