NOLA chief: "Sloppy" police work preceded officer Daryle Holloway's death
NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Police Department says one of its officers is now facing criminal charges after failing to search a suspect who was later charged with Officer Daryle Holloway's death.
Police say that Officer Wardell Johnson, along with Officer Ryan Morgan, responded to an aggravated assault call on June 20, according to CBS affiliate WWLTV. Travis Boys had allegedly fired a .38 caliber weapon at a woman, who was not injured.
Superintendent Michael Harrison told The Associated Press that Johnson's pat-down search of Boys was not thorough and not in keeping with police training.
He also added that Johnson did "sloppy and lazy" police work, having left a .40 caliber casing at the scene as well as removing a box of .40 caliber bullets without processing them into evidence according to the station.
Investigators say Boys was arrested, and while being transported to Orleans Parish Prison, he allegedly killed Holloway with a .40 caliber gun -- a different caliber weapon than the one he was arrested with. Police are still uncertain how Boys obtained the gun used to kill the officer.
Following the shooting, Johnson was questioned by the Public Integrity Bureau and told investigators that he didn't remember where he left the box of bullets and didn't say why he chose not to report it, according to the station.
After the interview, detectives saw Johnson removing the box of bullets from his vehicle and throwing them out of the window while driving, reports WWLTV. Johnson allegedly admitted doing so in a follow-up interview.
"I can't tell you how disgusted and appalled that I am that [Johnson] did what he did," Harrison told WWLTV. "It's sloppy police work and clear intent to cover up his sloppy police work. There's no room for bad apples in our office."
Johnson has been charged with obstruction of justice, one count of malfeasance in office and one count of theft.
Police cautioned that there was no suggestion that Johnson was connected to Holloway's death, only to the investigation that directly preceded it.
"We have no evidence that leads us to believe that the officers knew Boys or did anything to help him as part of the investigation," police spokesman Tyler Gamble told The Associated Press.