Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans proudly announced Monday that the city had closed a “dark” chapter in its history that was written more than a decade ago. The city has worked out settlements, totaling $13.3 million, in three especially egregious police killings as well as with plaintiffs in other serious cases involving police brutality and lethal use of force. Most of the cases occurred during the time of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005.
With some family members at his side, Landrieu assured the public that the settlements were a sign of governmental transparency, accountability and a resolve to turn the city’s notoriously brutal and corrupt police department around. But the mayor’s news conference gave several clues about the price New Orleanians should expect to pay, says Leid Stories.
Listeners decipher the hidden messages in Landrieu’s message.