It was a dramatic shootout.
The New Orleans Police Department released body camera footage on Friday showing the confrontation between three officers and the assailant responsible for a deadly attack on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day. The video, which lasts about 10 seconds, shows two officers approaching the driver’s side of a white pickup truck with their weapons drawn. A voice is heard ordering the suspect to raise his hands before gunfire erupts. Both officers and pedestrians are seen fleeing from the scene. A slower version of the footage and a still image capturing a muzzle flash from the attacker’s weapon were also made public.
This release marks the first time that specific details of the shootout, including the officers’ names, were revealed. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick identified the officers involved in the shooting as Sgt. Nigel Daggs and Officers Christian Beyer and Jacobie Jordan. She praised their actions, calling them “national heroes” and confirmed that they had acted within legal and departmental guidelines. The body camera footage comes from another officer at the scene who did not discharge his weapon.
Sgt. Daggs, a 21-year veteran, and Officers Beyer and Jordan, who have less than two years of service, were part of the response team. Officer Jordan and a fourth officer, Joseph Rodrigue, sustained thigh injuries during the incident but were later released from the hospital. The FBI is now investigating whether friendly fire contributed to the officers’ injuries, though this has not been confirmed.
In response to the attack, the city has enlisted former police chief William Bratton, a law enforcement veteran with experience in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, to consult on the city’s security measures. Bratton’s role is to evaluate the response to the incident and provide recommendations for future safety protocols, especially in light of upcoming major events like the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. He emphasized the importance of adapting to evolving threats and preventing similar incidents in the future.
The circumstances surrounding the attack are still under investigation, particularly the lack of vehicle security barriers on Bourbon Street at the time. These barriers, which had previously malfunctioned, were removed for replacement ahead of the Super Bowl. Despite the city’s failure to deploy additional protective measures, officials have defended their response, pointing to temporary security solutions and a significant police presence. Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Superintendent Kirkpatrick both expressed that the attacker’s intent was clear, and had he not targeted Bourbon Street, he would have chosen another location.
