New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was previously investigated for hitting pedestrians with her car in the same area where a deadly terror attack took place.
The superintendent was driving in the city’s French Quarter when she struck a man and woman, leaving the female with minor injuries.
The August crash took place in the same district as the Ford F-150 Lightning terror attack which killed 15 people earlier this week, although Kirkpatrick’s collision was accidental.
US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, has been identified as the driver who plowed into the crowds on Bourbon Street as they were out celebrating the New Year.
An additional 30 people were left injured following the deadly strike and Jabbar was killed at the scene.
He used a rented Ford electric vehicle packed with explosives and an ISIS flag to carry out the massacre, but is understood not to have acted alone.
It comes five months after Kirkpatrick was involved in the collision with two pedestrians.
The superintendent told NOLA that she was returning from visiting an injured officer in the hospital when she made a left hand turn and failed to spot the two people.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was previously investigated for hitting pedestrians with her car in the same area where a deadly terror attack took place
‘I’m so sorry for what happened last night,’ she told the outlet the day after. ‘I’m so grateful that the two people involved really are going to be fine. Just terribly sorry.
‘It is under investigation, and when it’s completely finished, I’m going to ask for the state patrol to look at that investigation as well. Again, terribly sorry for the whole event.’
Kirkpatrick was not under the influence at the time of the crash and did not face any charges.
However, it was not the first time she has been embroiled in a controversy.
The 65-year-old was fired from her role as the first ever female police chief for the California city of Oakland three years after she took on the position.
Kirkpatrick later successfully sued the department, claiming she had been ousted for exposing corruption and was awarded $1.5 million for wrongful termination.
In 2023, she was hired by New Orleans Police Department.
In the aftermath of Wednesday’s fatal attack, Kirkpatrick explained that mechanical barricades installed at the intersection were malfunctioning.
She is overseeing the investigation into the deadly attack by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, which left 15 people dead and 30 injured
Officials confirmed Jabbar had attached an ISIS flag to the truck he used to plow through the crowd of revelers who were out celebrating New Year’s Eve in the city’s French Quarter
She said that other barriers and police cars were placed at parts of Bourbon Street for the holiday.
‘We knew these were malfunctioning. So we did indeed have a plan, but the terrorist defeated it,’ Kirkpatrick said.
‘This particular terrorist drove around onto the sidewalk and got around the hard target. We did have a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and they still got around.’
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she is certain ‘multiple people’ were involved in the attack.
It has since emerged that the man responsible for a Tesla CyberTruck explosion outside a Trump hote in Las Vegas served at the same army base as New Orleans suspect Jabbar.
Law enforcement officers raided a home belonging Matthew Livelsberger, 37, from Colorado Springs on Wednesday night in connection with the CyberTruck explosion.
The person behind the wheel was the sole fatality from the attack, which was largely contained by the hulking vehicle.
In a press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the car arrived in Las Vegas at 7.30am. The explosion took place at 8.40am in the valet area outside the hotel.
Jabbar used a rented Ford electric vehicle packed with explosives and an ISIS flag to carry out the massacre, but is understood not to have acted alone
Law enforcement sources have since revealed the cars used in both attacks were rented through Turo, and they were both EVs, prompting concerns they are linked.
Police revealed on Wednesday afternoon that they are currently investigating potential links and have not ruled anything out yet.
‘Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know,’ Sheriff Kevin McMahill said. ‘We’re absolutely looking into any connections to New Orleans.’
A spokesperson for Turo later issued a statement describing the company’s heartbreak ‘by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families.
‘We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents.
‘We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.’
