Police seeking vehicle used in New Year’s Eve homicide

The New Orleans Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle of interest in the investigation of a homicide on Dec. 31 in the 7900 block of Oleander Street. Corey Brown was struck in the back by a bullet in Gert Town, near Earhart Boulevard, when a gunman opened fire. Medical responders took Brown to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and died. He was 21.

Police arrest suspect in July triple shooting that killed a woman

The NOPD’s Homicide Unit and Violent Offenders Warrant Squad arrested Dalton C. Bennett Jr., 22, on Wednesday (Nov. 24) in the investigation of a July homicide and triple shooting in Central City. During a search of the location where Bennett was apprehended, detectives secured four assault rifles, five handguns, several bags of narcotics and a large amount of cash and ammunition. Bennett is accused of opening fire at a group of people gathered on Rev. John Raphael Jr. Way and Josephine Street just after 10 p.m. on July 20. Danyell Fox, 38, was struck by the gunfire that also injured a 34-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man.

Suspect booked in 2018 mass shooting that killed three people on Claiborne Avenue

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that killed three people on South Claiborne Avenue more than three years ago. Seven additional victims were wounded by gunfire in the triple homicide in the 3400 block of South Claiborne Avenue on July 28, 2018. Jamal Smith, 32, faces three counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder in connection with the incident. Two men and one woman were killed. Two women and five men were injured in the gunfire.

Viewpoint: Politics is in the way of public safety, crime watchdog says

Raphael Goyeneche, head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said Wednesday (July 28) that the city’s political leadership “must step up and give the NOPD the resources they need to protect and serve the community. Politics needs to get out of the way of public safety. Citizens want to feel safe in their neighborhoods.”          

Earlier this week, the MCC released the Orleans Parish Violent Crime Maps, a three-year look at violent crime by police district. Also included are results from the New Orleans Crime Coalition’s 2021 Police Satisfaction and Police Policymaking surveys. 

The majority of Orleans Parish voters (64%) who participated in the surveys clearly stated they believe the city is not safe. An even larger majority (74%) said that the crime problem has worsened over the past year.

New commander to take over NOPD’s Second District

The New Orleans Police Department announced a change of command in the Second District, which oversees police services for Audubon, Carrollton, Hollygrove and other Uptown areas. Capt. Jeff Walls, the Second District commander since 2019, assumed command of the Eighth District on Friday. He replaced Capt. Anthony Caprera, who retired Friday after a 37-year career with NOPD. It’s Walls’ second leadership assignment to the Eighth District, which comprises the French Quarter, CBD, Marigny and Warehouse District. On Monday (June 21), Lt. Eric Gillard, the second in command in the Second District for the past four years, will be promoted to the rank of captain and assume command of the Second District.

Suspect, vehicle sought in Claiborne car wash homicide

The NOPD is seeking to locate and identify a person of interest and a vehicle in the investigation of a homicide that occurred Wednesday (Feb. 17) in the 3700 block of South Claiborne Avenue. The pictured suspect was seen at the Claiborne Avenue car wash where Bruce Gaten, 31, was shot to death at 3:19 p.m. The suspect was seen wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with an unknown image on the front, dark colored jeans and dark shoes. The unknown suspect was observed driving the pictured silver 2016 Honda Pilot bearing Louisiana plate ZRT 457 with a bike rack affixed to the rear. The Honda was reported stolen.

Police arrest one suspect, seek another in string of armed carjackings

The NOPD has arrested Joshua Dean, 18, and has obtained an arrest warrant for Robert Garrett, 23, in the ongoing investigation of multiple armed carjacking incidents in Uptown neighborhoods and in the Navarre neighborhood and Jefferson Parish. NOPD Second District detectives determined that four recent armed carjacking incidents were related, three in the Uptown area. Two occurred in Carrollton on Feb. 9, one in the 8100 block of Green Street, targeting two women delivering food. It was quickly followed by another on Cohn and Pine streets.