Guardsman patrolling New Orleans shoots man; first soldier to open fire since June

Monday, October 9th 2006, 9:29 pm

By: News On 6

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A Louisiana National Guard soldier on patrol shot and wounded a man Monday, the first time any guard member patrolling the city has opened fire, officials said.

The guardsman, who was patrolling the neighborhood still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, was flagged down intervene in an argument between two people, said Bambi Hall, a police spokeswoman.

When the guardsman felt threatened, he shot one of the men in the upper torso, she said. His injury was not considered life-threatening.

Police did not identify the guardsman or the men involved in the argument.

Lt. Col. Pete Schneider said no other member of the guard has fired a weapon since June, when about 300 were sent to the city to reinforce a depleted police department and battle a surge in violence.

Soldiers patrol areas largely abandoned since Katrina flooded most of the city in August 2005.

Nobody was arrested Monday but the investigation was not complete, police said.

The shooting was on a block where most houses had been or were being repaired, although some still had boarded or shuttered windows.