TheeBadOne
Member
NEW ORLEANS -- An Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff's Office deputy was killed and another deputy and two suspects were wounded Thursday in a botched bank robbery on the Westbank. A third suspect, who was not injured, is in police custody.
Field training Officer Sidney Zaffuto, 50, served previously as a deputy and was rehired in 2001. He died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Capt. Andrew Jenkins, 48, is a 27-year police veteran. He was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the leg and is listed in good condition.
The injured suspects also are in good condition. All three men face federal charges.
According to New Orleans Police Department spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo, the robbery attempt occurred during a shift change Thursday morning at the Iberia Bank at 4626 Gen. Degaulle Drive. There were no customers but at least four employees inside the bank at the time. None reported any injuries. Investigators also recovered three handguns believed to be the weapons used in this crime.
Three armed men entered the bank through the front door and exchanged gunfire with Zaffuto, Defillo said. Jenkins, who was in the back of the bank, rushed to the front and fired at the suspects.
One of the suspects, Joseph Smith, 52, of 1017 Lebouef Court, was shot and collapsed outside the bank. The other suspects ran through nearby alleys to a red 2003 Ford Explorer, which was parked in a strip mall parking lot near Berkeley and Kabel Drive.
One suspect, John Johnson, 51, no reported home address, was wounded in the leg and arrested inside the vehicle. The other suspect, Herbert Jones, 58, of 1225 Truxton St, Gretna, was arrested a short distance away.
As the gunfire erupted, New Orleans police Detective Lawrence Green saw the armed men running from the bank and radioed for assistance, police said. He, along with 4th District Lts. Jerome Laviolette and Reginald Jacque, Sgt. John Miller, Detective Dennis Gibliant and Officer Shaun Ferguson, intervened.
At the same time, two United States Coast Guard Servicemen, Petty Officer 2nd Class Orin Augustus and Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Jenkins, gunner's mates from Coast Guard Atlantic Area Armory based in Belle Chasse, saw the suspects fleeing and assisted in the arrests.
All three suspects have criminal records, police said. Smith previously was arrested for armed robberies and burglaries. Johnson has a history of armed robberies, weapons violations and narcotics charges. Jones has a previous arrest for domestic violence, battery on police officers, resisting arrest and aggravated assault.
The scene was chaotic on Gen. Degaulle Drive from Kabel Drive to the Crescent City Connection as traffic was halted and streets were closed to allow police units and ambulances through.
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This is sad on a few levels. I guess one thing I'd suggest in the career of an LEO, retire as early as you can, and stay retired. It's sad Deputy Zaffuto returned to service only to be killed. All the retired LEO's I've spoken to say the same thing, "Retire when you can". Some of these fellows were the same guys I remember "hemming & hawing" over whether it was too early for them to retire. After they did, not one of them has ever said, "I wish I had hung around longer".
This is also a good reminder of how dangerous banks/stores (places with CASH) can be. Does anyone avoid the bank lobby for this very reason? I'm lucky enough that I conduct much of my banking Online and through the drive-thru/ATM (some banks here have signs "No Guns Allowed").
TBO
Field training Officer Sidney Zaffuto, 50, served previously as a deputy and was rehired in 2001. He died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Capt. Andrew Jenkins, 48, is a 27-year police veteran. He was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the leg and is listed in good condition.
The injured suspects also are in good condition. All three men face federal charges.
According to New Orleans Police Department spokesman Capt. Marlon Defillo, the robbery attempt occurred during a shift change Thursday morning at the Iberia Bank at 4626 Gen. Degaulle Drive. There were no customers but at least four employees inside the bank at the time. None reported any injuries. Investigators also recovered three handguns believed to be the weapons used in this crime.
Three armed men entered the bank through the front door and exchanged gunfire with Zaffuto, Defillo said. Jenkins, who was in the back of the bank, rushed to the front and fired at the suspects.
One of the suspects, Joseph Smith, 52, of 1017 Lebouef Court, was shot and collapsed outside the bank. The other suspects ran through nearby alleys to a red 2003 Ford Explorer, which was parked in a strip mall parking lot near Berkeley and Kabel Drive.
One suspect, John Johnson, 51, no reported home address, was wounded in the leg and arrested inside the vehicle. The other suspect, Herbert Jones, 58, of 1225 Truxton St, Gretna, was arrested a short distance away.
As the gunfire erupted, New Orleans police Detective Lawrence Green saw the armed men running from the bank and radioed for assistance, police said. He, along with 4th District Lts. Jerome Laviolette and Reginald Jacque, Sgt. John Miller, Detective Dennis Gibliant and Officer Shaun Ferguson, intervened.
At the same time, two United States Coast Guard Servicemen, Petty Officer 2nd Class Orin Augustus and Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Jenkins, gunner's mates from Coast Guard Atlantic Area Armory based in Belle Chasse, saw the suspects fleeing and assisted in the arrests.
All three suspects have criminal records, police said. Smith previously was arrested for armed robberies and burglaries. Johnson has a history of armed robberies, weapons violations and narcotics charges. Jones has a previous arrest for domestic violence, battery on police officers, resisting arrest and aggravated assault.
The scene was chaotic on Gen. Degaulle Drive from Kabel Drive to the Crescent City Connection as traffic was halted and streets were closed to allow police units and ambulances through.
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This is sad on a few levels. I guess one thing I'd suggest in the career of an LEO, retire as early as you can, and stay retired. It's sad Deputy Zaffuto returned to service only to be killed. All the retired LEO's I've spoken to say the same thing, "Retire when you can". Some of these fellows were the same guys I remember "hemming & hawing" over whether it was too early for them to retire. After they did, not one of them has ever said, "I wish I had hung around longer".
This is also a good reminder of how dangerous banks/stores (places with CASH) can be. Does anyone avoid the bank lobby for this very reason? I'm lucky enough that I conduct much of my banking Online and through the drive-thru/ATM (some banks here have signs "No Guns Allowed").
TBO