NEW ORLEANS
A federal judge Thursday sentenced Roland J. Bourgeois Jr., 55, of New Orleans to 10 years in prison for shooting three young blacks because of their race as the men attempted to evacuate New Orleans, according to officials.
“Today’s sentencing brings closure to this race-motivated shooting that occurred over 13 years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This sentence sends a clear message to those who attempt to divide our community with violence and fear that the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to prosecute perpetrators of hate-motivated violence.”
“Upholding the civil rights of our citizens is one of the most important duties of the Department of Justice. This sentencing clearly demonstrates the tenacity of law enforcement to hold individuals responsible for their actions, despite the passage of time,” said U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “Hurricane Katrina was a tragic chapter in the history of our city. Hopefully, this plea brings some measure of finality to those directly affected by this crime and to this great city that endured so much in the days following this calamity.”
Eric J. Rommal, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge stated: “Justice is blind, but she is also patient. Mr. Bourgeois’ cowardly, unprovoked, and racially based violent acts were unjustly carried out upon his victims over a decade ago, leaving the victims, their families, and our community torn by hate. We hope his sentencing will help the healing process and serve notice that violence especially borne from hate, will never be tolerated and the FBI remains committed to upholding the Constitution and protecting civil rights.”
According to court documents, shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Bourgeois and other white male residents of the Algiers Point neighborhood agreed that they would use force to keep out African Americans from their neighborhood.
They moved fallen trees to barricade the streets near their homes and started armed patrols of the neighborhood.
On Sept. 1, 2005, three young African-American men – D.H., M.A., and C.C. – walked to Algiers Point in an effort to reach the ferry landing, a site that state and federal agencies were using as an evacuation point. When the three men crossed a barricade constructed by Bourgeois and others, Bourgeois opened fire with a shotgun, wounding all three men.
After the men fled, Bourgeois boasted that he had “got one” and pledged to “kill that [racial slur]” if the man had survived. Bourgeois warned one of his neighbors: “Anything coming up this street darker than a brown paper bag is getting shot.”
The prosecution of this matter was delayed because the defendant was repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial after being charged in July 2010. The defendant’s competency was evaluated six different times between 2010 and 2018. After he was declared competent in 2018, Bourgeois pleaded guilty in October 2018.