A former New Orleans police officer was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday for fatally shooting a man without justification after Hurricane Katrina, and his former partner was given 17 years for burning the body.
Former NOPD Officer David Warren was sentenced for the shooting death of Henry Glover on Sept. 2, 2005, while current NOPD Officer Greg McRae was sentenced for the subsequent burning of Glover's remains and obstruction of justice.
"Instead of upholding their oath to protect and serve the people of New Orleans in the days after Hurricane Katrina, these officers abused their power, and violated the law and the public trust," according to Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division. "Today's sentence brings a measure of justice to the Glover family and to the entire city."
As part of the restitution order, Warren will also pay $7,642.32 to Glover's family for funeral expenses. Warren was found guilty by a federal jury of a civil rights violation, resulting in death, for shooting Glover, and for using a firearm to commit manslaughter.
Current NOPD Officer McRae was sentenced to 17 years and three months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $6,000. McRae was convicted of two civil rights violations, one count of obstructing justic,e and one count of using fire during the commission of a felony. Officer McRae burned a vehicle with Glover's body inside.
A federal jury convicted the officers in December, following a trial.
Evidence presented at trial established that Warren, while stationed on a second floor lookout, shot Glover, who was a floor below him and running away. Glover's brother and a friend flagged down a passing motorist, William Tanner, who put the wounded Glover in his car to try to get medical attention for him. However, when the group of men drove up to a makeshift police station seeking help for Glover, police officers surrounded the men at gunpoint, handcuffed them and let Glover die in the back seat of the car. McRae then drove off with Tanner's car, with Glover's body inside, and burned both the body and the car with a traffic flare.
"Today's sentences are a result of the continued diligence and commitment of the FBI to aggressively and fairly pursue civil rights violations, with the goal of bringing to justice those who abuse the very citizens they are entrusted to protect and serve," according to David Welker, FBI special agent in charge for Louisiana.
Related:
Federal Jury Convicts 3 NOPD Officers In Katrina Shooting
Stressed Post-Katrina Officer Testifies About Why He Burned Body
NOPD Lieutenant Lied About Glover Shooting, FBI Agent Testifies
