NEW ORLEANS — In a tragic incident that occurred on New Year’s Day, an attacker motivated by the Islamic State killed 14 people during a truck rampage in New Orleans. Recent bodycam footage, released on Friday, shows the events leading up to officers fatally shooting the assailant after he opened fire from his vehicle.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick praised the responding officers, calling them “national heroes” at a press conference. The perpetrator, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove his white F-150 through a police blockade positioned at the entrance to Bourbon Street, a popular destination, around 3:15 a.m., colliding with a crowd of celebrants and injuring numerous others.
Once Jabbar’s truck came to a halt, officer Christian Beyer was seen in bodycam footage standing next to the open driver’s side door with his weapon drawn. Officer Jacobie Jordan was also on scene with his firearm ready, as revealed by officer Luis Robles’ bodycam recording.
Beyer identified himself and ordered Jabbar out of the vehicle, according to Sergeant Mike Guasco of the Public Integrity Bureau’s Force Investigation Team, which examines police shootings. Jabbar responded by firing from behind an airbag, creating a visible flash from the muzzle. In reaction, Robles and two other unspecified officers ducked for cover as a series of gunshots erupted.
Beyer and Jordan both discharged their weapons during the incident, while another officer, Sgt. Nigel Daggs, who was by the passenger door, also fired. Kirkpatrick emphasized that the officers were trained for such confrontations and their actions were time-sensitive decisions.
Currently, the police have not revealed how many shots Jabbar fired, citing ongoing investigations and possible legal proceedings. However, Kirkpatrick reiterated that the officers acted according to established protocols and are now back on active duty. “Every officer faces the dilemma of ‘shoot, don’t shoot,’ and this was clearly justified by the law and within departmental policy,” she stated.
The officers involved included Daggs, a veteran with over 21 years on the force, alongside Beyer and Jordan, who are relatively new recruits with nearly two years of service. Jordan and another officer, Joseph Rodrigue, who did not fire his weapon, sustained injuries during the incident.
In response to inquiries regarding the incident, Kirkpatrick mentioned the officers have shared their accounts with investigators but did not provide further details due to the ongoing FBI investigation. She confirmed that the involved officers would not be making public statements at this time.
While Kirkpatrick refrained from discussing specific security measures in place or the number of officers present during the attack, it was reported that a group of victims filed a lawsuit against the city and two contractors, alleging a failure to implement necessary safety protocols that could have mitigated the attack’s impact.
Kirkpatrick assured that all questions will be addressed thoroughly once the investigations conclude and that additional bodycam footage will be made available to the public eventually.
