NEW ORLEANS — Surveillance video obtained by Eyewitness News shows the moments a New Orleans police officer shoots an armed robbery suspect Tuesday night on the Lafitte Greenway.
“One of our officers was canvassing the area,” said Chief Deputy Superintendent Christopher Goodly Tuesday night.
While canvassing, video shows an officer with a flashlight searching bushes for the suspect. The flashlight falls to the ground and you can see what appears to be multiple flashes from the officer’s gun.
“He exchanged gunfire with the suspect at that point,” said Goodly.
In slow motion, you can count six shots in the video. Backup officers quickly swarm the area, blocking off roads and putting folks who live around here on alert. Renee Simon was outside her home when she heard the shots and is tired of the violence.
“It’s just getting out of control, out of hand period,” said Simon.
The video is the ending of what Goodly says started as a call for service at a church on North Dorgenois.
“Through that call it turned out to be they were investigating an armed robbery,” said Goodly.
According to our partners at NOLA.com, a man named Daniel Ignacio Mejia Castillo robbed two women, stealing one of their purses, with a cell phone inside. Police say when someone called that cell phone, Mejia’s hiding spot was found, leading to what we now see on video.
“That suspect has sustained three gunshot wounds. He is suffering from non-life-threatening injuries,” said Goodly.
Goodly says those gunshot wounds were to one of Mejia’s legs. He was taken to the hospital and faces a list of charges, which as of Wednesday afternoon police say they’re still working on. The officer, a three-year veteran at NOPD, was not injured.
Investigations are underway because of this shooting. The unidentified officer was wearing a body camera at the time and that footage is being reviewed by the NOPD. It’s expected to be released sometime next week.