Skip to main content

Ex-cop Acquitted for Post-Katrina Shooting

By Brett Snider, Esq. on December 12, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The former New Orleans police officer who shot and killed a man in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was acquitted by a jury on Wednesday.

David Warren, 50, was found not guilty for civil rights and firearm charges in the fatal shooting of Henry Glover in September 2005, although this was Warren's second time in trial for Glover's killing, reports NBC News. Warren was convicted of manslaughter in December 2010 and sentenced to 25 years in prison, but that conviction was vacated by a federal appellate court.

Does Warren's acquittal mean his days in court for Glover's shooting are over?

Conviction Overturned, Acquittal on New Trial

Warren was initially tried and convicted for manslaughter for shooting and killing Glover, a man he believed was a looter. He was put on trial with several other officers, one of whom was accused of burning Glover's body in a car in an attempt to cover up his death, reports NBC News.

His conviction was thrown out by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2012 because the prosecutors failed to try Warren separately. The new trial charged Warren with federal civil rights charges, claiming that by firing the fatal shot at Glover, the former officer deprived him of his civil rights under the guise of upholding the law.

Before delivering their verdict on Wednesday, the federal jury was instructed to consider whether Warren had acted willfully with intent to disobey the law in shooting Glover. Without finding this element beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury was instructed to find him not guilty of the civil rights charge.

According to NBC News, Warren testified that he "feared for his life" when he shot Glover, and maybe this was enough for the jury to acquit.

Civil Charges Still Possible

Although his criminal exposure for the post-Katrina killing has ended, Warren might still face time in civil court for his actions.

The mother of the late Glover's child, Charlene Green, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2010 on behalf of their 13-year-old son, Henry Glover Jr. in 2010. The suit alleged that Warren was the victim of excessive force by police, and that officers failed to provide him with medical treatment, reports The Times-Picayune.

Family members like Henry who were dependant on Glover could seek damages for loss of Glover's income as well as the loss of his parental guidance.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard