New Orleans officers recovering after 'courageous' response to New Year's terrorist attack: lawyer

The two New Orleans Police Department officers who were injured in the January terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, which resulted in the death of 15 people including the attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, are recovering after they bravely stopped the ISIS-inspired assailant, their lawyer stated.

On New Year's Day at 3:15 a.m., Jabbar, driving an electric Ford F-150 pickup truck, killed 14 civilians and opened fire on police in an act of terror motivated by Islamic extremism, resulting in his death by NOPD officers.

According to NOPD attorney Eric Hessler, who is a former NOPD officer, both individuals are anticipated to completely recover.

Two unidentified officers were on their way to an unrelated call early New Year's morning when a vehicle passed them and struck a crane, according to Hessler.

"In a matter of moments, they responded and commenced performing their trained actions, as the situation demanded," Hessler elaborated.

"They were engaged in a very traumatic, stressful and very rapidly evolving set of events." — Eric Hessler

Immediately, the officers assessed whether the vehicle crash was intentional and, upon determining it was, police drew their weapons to confront the active threat.

The attorney stated that they handled the situation correctly, in accordance with their training, and are managing the aftermath, despite its challenges, in the same manner.

A group of officers rushed towards danger upon receiving a call about a suspicious vehicle incident, as captured on a street camera video from the morning of the attack.

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The responding officers' actions were described as "heroic" and "well thought-out" by Hessler.

"The attorney stated that the team did not have the opportunity to make tactical decisions among themselves. Instead, they acted as a cohesive unit. Some of the individuals involved had never worked together before, but those who were closer to the scene and responded to the threat took swift and effective action, going above and beyond what was expected of them under the circumstances."

On Thursday, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia stated that investigators believe Jabbar acted independently. Additionally, officials discovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in different areas of the French Quarter following the terrorist attack. These devices were placed in coolers.

The FBI stated at a news conference on Thursday that prior to his rampage in New Orleans, Jabbar shared videos on Facebook expressing his support for ISIS.

On Thursday, the attack victims were identified as Martin "Tiger" Bech, 27; Drew Dauphin, 26; Nikyra Dedeaux, 18; Nicole Perez, 28; Reggie Hunter, 37; Hubert Gauthreaux, 21; Kareem Bilal Badawi, 18; Matthew Tenedorio, 25; Billy DiMaio, 25; and Terrence Kennedy, 63.