In the late hours of a September evening in New Orleans, a domestic disturbance call led to a violent confrontation that ended with 29-year-old Justin Martin being shot by police. Officers from the New Orleans Police Department responded to a report of a domestic battery in the 3200 block of Bienville Street. Upon their arrival just after 11:00 p.m., they encountered Martin.
Initially, Martin was seen crossing the street unarmed.
However, the situation escalated when he emerged from a residence holding a firearm. According to police, officers repeatedly ordered Martin to drop his weapon, but he refused to comply. This led to an exchange of gunfire between Martin and the police. During the shootout, Martin sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
After being shot, Martin dropped his weapon. An officer on the scene, who was also a trained Emergency Medical Responder, immediately provided medical aid to Martin until paramedics arrived. He was then transported to a local hospital for treatment and was listed in stable condition. No officers were injured during the incident.
Following his release from the hospital, Justin Martin was taken into custody and faces a litany of charges. These include two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, battery on a dating partner with strangulation, and resisting an officer with violence. The New Orleans Police Department's Public Integrity Bureau launched an investigation into the officer-involved shooting, and the case was submitted to the District Attorney's Office. Body camera footage of the incident was later released to the public.
