Three of officers made their initial federal court appearances in New Orleans on Wednesday. All were jailed pending a detention hearing Friday. A fourth officer was arraigned in Texas and jailed.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said the Justice Department hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty against them.

Five former officers already have pleaded guilty to helping cover up the bridge shootings that killed two people and wounded four others.

The case is one of several investigations of alleged misconduct by New Orleans police officers in the days after the August 2005 storm.