NOPD Didn’t Report Shooting Unarmed Man In The Head For Two Days

August 20, 2014

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With the deaths of Eric Garner, Mike Brown, John Crawford and Ezell Ford spurring protests across the country (most prominently in Ferguson, MO), police using excessive force is at the forefront of many minds in the nation. However, a police shooting happened on Monday that has flown under the radar. This time, a New Orleans Police Department officer shot an unarmed Black man in the head during a traffic stop.

According to Uptown Magazine, 26-year-old Armand Bennett was in a car with his brother in the upscale Tall Timbers neighborhood. His brother is a resident. It is unknown why, but officers confronted the two men with guns drawn and a female officer fired two shots at the two men. According to Bennett’s attorney, Nandi Campbell, ”He was not armed. After the first [shot], Armand started running toward his brother’s home. He was fired upon again as he was running. I’m unclear about whether he was in car when first shot was fired, but he was close to the car when the first shot happened.”

It was reported on Monday, August 11th that a call for assistance was made on the 3700 block of Mimosa Ct. in the Algiers community in New Orleans. The NOPD reported that officer, Lisa Lewis suffered a hand injury during an altercation with “a combative suspect” at 1:30 AM. However, there was no report of a shooting or the events leading up to the incident. A public report request went unanswered until that Wednesday when the NOPD released the following statement:

On Sunday, August 10, 2014, around 1:19 a.m., a Fourth District NOPD officer was conducting a traffic stop in the 3700 block of Mimosa Drive. During the traffic stop, the officer was injured and the suspect, 26-year-old Armand Bennett was shot.

Bennett is now in the hospital for his head injury. Campbell says that “staples were required to close the wound.” As of now, Bennet faces multiple charges from five outstanding warrants, including illegal possession of a weapon, two counts of resisting an officer, possession of marijuana, and criminal damage to property

Ryan K. Smith

Ryan K. Smith is digital content editor for Don Diva Magazine. Earning a bachelors degree from Penn State University (by way of Howard University), Ryan has pursued a career in journalism, published by Complex Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Philadelphia Weekly and The Chester Spirit Newspaper. He is also a self-published author. He sells the most awesome tee shirts on Earth at meweforus.spreadshirt.com.