Capt. Anthony Caprera promoted to lead NOPD 8th District; ex-station chief demoted

A New Orleans Police lieutenant with the 8th District was promoted to the rank of captain on Friday and will now lead the station as its new commander.

Capt. Anthony Caprera (pictured left), who is now in charge of the 8th District, was promoted from lieutenant during a private ceremony in Superintendent Shaun Ferguson’s office on Friday, according to New Orleans Police.

Additionally, Capt. Preston Bax, formerly a lieutenant and assistant commander with New Orleans Police’s 4th District, was promoted to captain and commander of the 6th District during the same ceremony.

The ceremonies were held separately and in private in order to practice social/physical distancing measures to stop coronavirus spread, the New Orleans Police said.

NOPD 8th District officer dies after battle with coronavirus

Caprera takes on responsibility for the district, which includes the French Quarter, the Central Business District and parts, other parts of downtown and a portion of the Marigny.

Caprera replaced his former boss, Lt. Octavio Baldassaro (pictured right), who was demoted from captain following an undisclosed and ongoing internal administrative investigation conducted by the Public Integrity Bureau, New Orleans Police said.

Baldassaro was previously investigated for an excessive force incident in which he was filmed throwing a woman to the ground while arresting her for fighting during French Quarter Festival in 2019, but was later cleared of wrongdoing, according to The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.

NOPD 8th District officer dies after battle with coronavirus

A 30-year New Orleans Police veteran and 8th District officer passed away on Thursday following complications from COVID-19, according to the department.

Mark Hall Sr., a police officer assigned to NOPD’s 8th District in the French Quarter, died Thursday after he was diagnosed with coronavirus on April 3.

Hall served more than 30 years with the department, most recently with the 8th District, when he died. The NOPD announced his passing in a public statement posted to Facebook.

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“It is with great sorry that the New Orleans Police Department announce the passing of a brother in blue due to complications from COVID-19,” the statement said. “Hall was a veteran of the NOPD with more than 30 years of service, most recently with the 8th District. Please keep his family in your prayers.”

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 447 coronavirus deaths and 6,557 confirmed cases in Orleans Parish, according to its most recent data published on Monday.

Additionally, public health officials on Monday reported a total of 29,673 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 1,991 deaths statewide.