June 29, 2011 12:49

Officer Testifies Danziger Cover-Up Began Immediately

Lt. Michael Lohman, a former NOPD supervisor testifying for the prosecution in the Danziger Bridge case, said yesterday:

• that he arrived at the bridge on Sept. 4, 2005 and found no guns near the wounded civilians;


• that he told officers under his watch to "get their stories straight" after they offered unbelievable explanations for what happened;


• that he participated in the cover-up because the officers involved were co-workers and friends: "I didn't want to get anyone in trouble";


• that two draft reports he received from Sgt. Arthur Kaufman were so "poorly written" that he had to write a 17-page false report about the incident himself.

Lohman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and faces a maximum of five years in prison. Read more about yesterday's testimony from our partners at the Times-Picayune.