On a Thursday morning in New Orleans, Louisiana, the routine of a bank was shattered by violence that resulted in the death of a dedicated law enforcement officer. Sidney Zaffuto, a 50-year-old male, was killed on January 8, 2004, while working an off-duty security detail at an Iberia Bank branch in Algiers. A veteran of the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff's Office with 21 years of service, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
Three armed men entered the bank on General de Gaulle Drive with the intention of robbing it. They immediately confronted and disarmed Lieutenant Zaffuto. A second deputy, who was positioned at the rear of the bank, witnessed the unfolding events and intervened, leading to an exchange of gunfire. In the shootout, Lieutenant Zaffuto was fatally shot in the chest, while the other deputy sustained a leg injury.
The three suspects fled the scene, two of whom were wounded in the gunfight. Their escape was short-lived, however, as law enforcement, aided by a plainclothes detective who witnessed the suspects fleeing, quickly responded. One suspect, Joseph Smith, was apprehended shortly after collapsing outside the bank. The other two, John Wayne Johnson and Herbert Jones Jr., were also taken into custody.
The aftermath of the deadly robbery led to federal charges against the three men. John Wayne Johnson, the man who shot Lieutenant Zaffuto, was convicted of first-degree murder. On May 27, 2009, a federal jury recommended the death penalty for Johnson. Another suspect, Herbert Jones Jr., pleaded guilty but died in jail in April 2009 before he could be sentenced. The third suspect, Joseph Smith, awaited trial for his alleged involvement in the crime.
