NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Superintendent Michael Harrison expressing anger and frustration over the death of Officer Daryle Holloway during Tuesday’s press conference at police headquarters. Chief Harrison said, “frankly, I’m pissed!” blaming sloppy police work by fellow NOPD Officer Wardell Johnson as a factor which led to Holloway’s death.
“It’s sloppy police work! There’s clear intent to cover up his sloppy police work. We’re not going to stand for it, ” Harrison said. “There’s no place for him or anyone else like him who lacks that level of professionalism, that level of integrity in this department.”
On Monday, the Public Integrity Bureau (PIB) arrested Officer Johnson on obstruction of justice, malfeasance in office and theft charges.
Johnson was one of the officers who responded to the initial call on Saturday, June 20 involving accused cop-killer Travis Boys. In that incident, police say Boys fired a gun at a woman but missed.
During that investigation, the PIB says Officer Johnson deliberately attempted to leave a 40-caliber shell casing at the scene. The bureau discovered the move while reviewing Johnson’s body camera. The PIB also says after Johnson was interviewed by investigators about a missing box of ammo, he was spotted on Monday throwing a box out of his car window into a canal while driving at Morrison and Downman.
Investigators are still working at this time to recover those bullets.
Investigators still haven’t revealed a motive. They say Officer Johnson is “extremely remorseful and upset.” There is also no evidence to support that Officer Johnson knew or assisted Officer Holloway’s alleged murderer Travis Boys in escaping.
The other officer involved in that initial investigation has not been charged.
The New Orleans Police Department is still investigating how Boys was able to shoot Officer Holloway — with a 40-caliber pistol — while he was being taken to jail.
Other questions they’re still trying to determine:
- How the weapon got into Boys’s possession?
- How he was able to move around in the cop car?
- Who harbored Boys after he escaped for 24 hours?