CNN's Drew Griffin talks to man who says he witnessed New Orleans Police shoot an unarmed person.

Drew Griffin | BIO
CNN Investigative Correspondent

The press release form the New Orleans Police Department described him as an unidentified gunmen who was “confronted by a New Orleans Police officers” then “reached into his waist and turned toward the officer.” The New Orleans Police Department told us the officer on that day, Sept. 4, 2005, fired one shot killing the suspect.

I’m guessing the New Orleans Police thought we would just take their word for it. We didn’t.

It took us more than a year, but what we found out about Ronald Madison proved justice in New Orleans is only for those who wear a badge.

Ronald Madison was a 40-year old mentally disabled man who had survived Katrina flooding with his brother Lance. On a Sunday morning they swam out of their mother’s home and headed for the Danziger Bridge. You can read more about their ordeal, and Ronald’s tragic death, in the stories below.

What you need to know now, is three years after he was killed by police, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the

U.S. Attorney’s office in New Orleans finally announced they will investigate.

Well it’s about time.

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Watch the footage of large debris slamming into the glass roof of the Sheraton hotel in Baton Rouge.

Ashley Fantz
CNN.com

Eighty-six year old Maxine Richardson sat in the lobby of a Baton Rouge Sheraton and watched Gustav whip its fury on bent street signs.

A large piece of metal from a neighboring building flew off and crashed into the Sheraton’s glass roof, startling and entertaining evacuees. The glass cracked but didn’t break. People applauded.

Richardson was startled at first, but then rolled her eyes. She isn’t going to put up with running from hurricanes any longer.

Though there are three generations of family who live with her in New Orleans, she is over the place.

“People were like, ‘Oh, aren’t you excited to be back home?’” She said, recalling how she moved back in to her home that was destroyed by Katrina.

“I was not happy. I didn’t like that place anymore. It made me uncomfortable.

“I want to leave New Orleans and if I go back this time to the same thing Katrina left me, I will find another place to live. Lord Jesus, I hope you hear me because I mean it!”

New Orleans residents affected by Katrina may have to pay back the money they were given in grants.

Every time I go to do a story in New Orleans I hold onto a little piece of hope that things are going to be better this time.

That the community is going to be more healed, that the town is going to look more alive, and that the programs put in place to help homeowners are actually doing so.

Well, I should have known better.

Imagine this: Louisiana residents – after all they’ve been through and all they’ve lost – are now being billed by the state for nearly $200 million!

Yes – you read that right, $200 million.

Why? Well – it turns out the contractor hired by the state to dole out federal dollars designed to help homeowners rebuild… uh… well… how do I say this… OVERESTIMATED!!

The contractor, ICF International, may have overpaid as many as 5000 residents. In other words, the state gave these people too much grant money after state inspectors estimated home damages.

In all, homeowners could be asked to pay up $175 million. Some families could be on the hook for $150,000 each!

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