New Orleans Police Officer Found Dead in His Car

"It is truly a sad day for our department. We've never had an on-duty death in the department's history." That changed at 7:10am yesterday morning in New Orleans, when an officer with the Housing Authority of New Orleans was found shot dead in his patrol car. He was working an overtime security detail at a construction site in a block of the city where no one lives; NBC News reports that site sits just blocks from the New Orleans Saints' stadium.

In addition to saying the aforementioned comments, HANO Police Chief Robert Anderson noted the unnamed officer had worked for the department for two years. Anderson says the details are still hazy, and "we don't want to speculate" about what occurred and whether the officer may have been targeted, reports the Times-Picayune. The Times-Picayune further describes the area where the officer's body was found: It's under construction as part of the Housing Authority's redevelopment of the Guste Homes public housing complex. The nearest residents live roughly a block from the scene; none has reported hearing gunshots. (More New Orleans stories.)