Voice your opinion

This is exactly why our optimism about the recent federal investigations into civil rights violation during and after Hurricane Katrina was measured. While it seems the federal authorities are taking a serious look at how the rights and lives of Black New Orleanians were trampled on in the aftermath of the storm, some in the state and local justice systems are apparently stuck on stupid.

Two officers were charged with second-degree battery against Robert Davis, a 64-year-old retired elementary school teacher who says he was asking officers about the city’s curfew when they assaulted him. The officers were Lance Schilling and Robert Evangelist. A third officer Stuart Smith was charged with simple battery. Later Smith’s charges were dropped, and he was suspended for 120 days.

Schilling, who killed himself in the summer of 2007, and Evangelist were fired. Evangelist appealed his firing to the city’s Civil Service Commission, which upheld the firing. But now the Louisiana 4th Circuit has ruled that Schilling can go back to work.
What!!!

Evangelist’s bosses at NOPD decided that his acts warranted termination, and indeed they did. The civil service commission agreed. For a state court to allow this cop to resume duties as an officer is a travesty of gigantic proportion, an affront to the city’s Black community, in general, and to Mr. Davis, in particular.

There is only one thing that can keep Evangelist from returning to his job as an NOPD officer—an appeal to and subsequent ruling from the state Supreme Court. We hope that NOPD and the civil service commission intend to fight for their original decision and appeal to the state’s high court. As Robert Davis’s lawyer put it, Evangelist “is not fit to be a crossing guard” let a lone a police officer. We couldn’t agree more. What cha say? Should NOPD let this ruling stand, or should they plan to appeal? Tell us. Better yet, tell them. While no one can control how the Supreme Court will ultimately rule on the matter, the people NOPD has sworn to protect and serve certainly deserve to have the law enforcement agency to at least put up a fight.