Fed shot by trooper has hate-crime charge filed against him

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Court documents show that a federal law enforcement officer shot and wounded by a Louisiana trooper has had a hate-crime charge filed against him over accusations that he had pointed a gun at the trooper before he was shot.

The New Orleans Advocate reported Wednesday that a four-count bill of information including the hate-crime charge was filed against 44-year-old Roland Martin last week.

New Orleans prosecutors filed the charge against Martin under Louisiana’s “blue lives matter” law. It makes police a protected class under hate-crime laws and was enacted as tensions between them and citizens rose after several shootings involving officers in the state.

Martin’s lawyer, Elizabeth Carpenter, says the agent with the Army Criminal Investigation Command was in New Orleans for a cruise ship trip when the trooper unjustifiably shot him without warning.