One of the issues we face, historically, with the NOPD, is the reclassification of crimes.
This means they change the name of the act to a lesser charge in order to keep statistics down & favorable.
Both the NOPD & Chief Ronal Serpas have been accused of this, here & in Nashville, respectively.
What follows is the exact unedited text of a crime report I received today (1/31/2011) from NOLA Alerts, regarding a crime in the 5th District. Please read it carefully:
"On Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 3:50 am, Detective Michael Sinegar, assigned to the Fifth District Investigative Unit, had the occasion to investigate an Aggravated Battery by Shooting which occurred at the intersection of St. Claude Avenue and Tupelo Street. Detective Augustus relocated to the hospital to speak to the victim at which time he stated the following:
On Saturday, January 29, 2011, at about 3:50 a.m., he was driving his vehicle on St. Claude
Avenue toward St. Bernard Parish when he approached the intersection of
Tupelo Street he came to a stop at the traffic light. During that time he noticed a vehicle (Older Model Red Nissan) suddenly stopped in the left lane several feet behind his vehicle. Moments later, an unknown black male exited the front passenger door of his vehicle and approached him. The unknown black male then pointed a dark semi-automatic handgun at him (victim) and stated “What you got give me your money.” At that time the victim made an attempt to flee the scene by stepping on the accelerator. The unknown black male then fired several shots at the victim, striking him once to the right side of his face and once to the right upper arm.
The victim described the perpetrator as a black male, who was possibly in his mid- twenties,
approximately 5’10” in height, weighing about 160 pounds. He wore a black t-shirt and dark pants. He had his hair in shoulder length dreads."
Please note that the crime is listed as "Aggravated Battery by Shooting" which will no doubt be downgraded to Aggravated Battery' at a later time. Even if it is not, "Aggravated Battery by Shooting" implies that the attacker meant to 'batter' the victim. From Wikipedia:
Acts most often defined under aggravated battery are:
- use of a deadly weapon
- battery in which serious bodily injury occurs, and
- battery against a child, woman or police officer.
While this certainly includes use of a deadly weapon, & serious bodily injury did occur, where is the robbery attempt in this, clearly an attempted armed robbery? The fact that the victim was shot in the face, as he fled, would lead one to believe that the bullet was an intended head shot, or attempted murder.
Yet here it is: Aggravated Battery.
Or complete lies & bullshit, depending on whether someone shot a round through your face, or you're a cop trying to keep your crime stats down so as not to get fired, or worse, incur the wrath of City Hall, who would love everyone to believe that it's hunky dory over here in the 5th District.
These lies go on daily & unchecked.
Speak out against corruption & demand an accurate accounting of these crimes, so we may receive the proper protection the NOPD is supposed to be providing, rather than a down grading of these crimes to meet the specifications Chief Serpas claims we have met.
Email Chief Serpas directly at:
nopdchief@nola.gov
Ask him to investigate the 5th District & Commander Bernadine Kelly, as well as answer for the thug & bully behavior exhibited by this branch of the NOPD.
Do it today.
Your life may depend on it.
5 comments:
This is just another example of the sorry state of law UN enforcement by NOPD. Does one have to be a resident to demand accountability from these people? I don't live in New Orleans,but all my friends do, therefore I spend a lot of time in then areas you refer to.
HELLO THERE
WELL I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR COMMENTS AND WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT 1 IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT THE 16 YR OLD CEDRICK BERRYHILL I AM RELATED TO HIM AND WANT YOU TO KNOW HIS MOTHER HAS DONE ALL SHE COULD FOR HIM WHEN HE WAS ON THE STREETS AND SHE DOESNT MAKE EXCUSES FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE I CAN SAY AS A WITNESS OF GOING TO AND FROM JUV. COURT WITH HER THAT SHE HAS BEGGED THEM IN THE PAST TO KEEP HER CHILD SO HE CAN STRAIGHTEN HIS SELF UP BECAUSE HE WAS BEYOND REPAIR AT HOME HIS FAMILY HAS BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO HELP HIM BUT HE IS MENTALLY GONE NOT SAYING THAT TO SAY THAT IS WHY HE DID WHATEVER HE HAS DONE FOR HE HAS BEEN LIKE THIS SINCE HE LOST HIS BROTHER TO THE STREETS IN 2005 BUT I CAN SAY ONE THING HIS MOM FEELS THAT WHATEVER TIME THEY DO GIVE HIM HE NEEDS TO TAKE THE PUNISHMENT GIVEN TO HIM BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN GIVEN TOO MANY CHANCES IN THE PAST AND THIS DEFINATELY WILL TEACH HIM A LESSON AND MAYBE THIS WILL SET AN EXAMPLE TO ALOT OF TEENS OUT HERE THAT ARE TRYING TO BE FOLLOWERS AND NOT LEADERS I CAN SAY HE WAS A GOOD KID AT AN EARLIER AGE BUT AS OF NOW ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES THAT SUFFERED UNDER HIS HANDS OF TRAGIC CRIMES AND HOPE THE JUDGE WILL SHOW HIM FINALLY THAT THEY ARE NOT PLAYING WITH HIM IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND TO ME FEEL FREE TO @ CS1222005@COX.NET
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME
I am the sister of Jon Flee, the defenseless boy that Cedric Berryhill shot in the back of the head for no reason. I don't give a damn who tried to help him and I don't give a damn what he has lost in his young life. I lost a brother, too. Should I murder now? If they executed him every day for the next 20 years it wouldn't be enough. There are plenty of mothers who struggle and raise decent kids. There are plenty of kids on the street including Jon and some of his friends who don't go around and rape and kill for fun. That murderer and every one like him can go straight to hell! They should donate his organs now because that is the only decent thing he will ever do for this world.
To John's Sister;
The comment before yours made no apology for this hideous act, but rather pointed out that Berryhill's own mother asked the courts to incarcerate him, which they did not do. "...SHE HAS BEGGED THEM IN THE PAST TO KEEP HER CHILD...
Sometimes, Evil comes. I have also lost loved ones to violence, and I know there are no words to console or heal. The wound toughens with time, but never ever goes away.
Were finger to be pointed, I would suggest the Juvenile Court system of N.O. which repeatedly lets violent offenders back to the streets. Just check the crime reports for repeated weapons charges, attempted murder, assault... yet they walk free.
Then there's the NOPD who were partying in the street while we, the locals, searched frantically for Berryhill, before this happened. Had the 5th District been on the job, Jon's life may have been spared.
As I said, sometimes, Evil Comes.
The above commenter went so far as to wish a long & hard sentence on Berryhill as a warning to others, and it may well serve as such.
Until the courts and police force take responsibility for their failures, no amount of parenting skills can detect and stop every kid who turns out to be a psychotic, sadistic killer, as I believe Berryhill is, to this day, and always will be.
In closing, let me offer my sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to you and yours. There are no words appropriate for this kind of thing, and maybe there shouldn't be.
As one who has lost loved ones to violence, I can only offer you the understanding of the pain this causes, and the sympathy of one who knows it never, ever truly ends.
May you some how, one day, find peace.
LD
Thank you and my sympathy also for your loss. I do appreciate all of the hard work and bravery on the part of the community to apprehend this killer. I didn't mean to diminish that in any way. It shouldn't be that way, but I do recognize that it was the community who found the criminal and I am grateful. Your neighborhood is safer because of you.
Sincerely, Jon's sis
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