Former La. police boss faces contempt in Ronald Greene probe
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - Louisiana State Police Supt. Reeves, the Louisiana State Police superintendent wrote himself an ominous note days after the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene: “Realize there is a problem — must address immediately.” (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) (Gerald Herbert)BATON ROUGE, La. Members of the committee investigating Greene's death said Wednesday the documents are public records. The resolution to hold Reeves in contempt next moves to another committee where Reeves will be able to mount a defense and then, if affirmed there, to a House vote. John Bel Edwards within hours that troopers arresting Greene had engaged in a "violent, lengthy struggle."
wftv.com3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justice
(Louisiana State Police via AP, File) (Uncredited)MONROE, La. Now, even as as Greene’s May 10, 2019, death has engulfed Louisiana’s premier law enforcement agency in controversy, it remains an open wound for a grieving family still seeking justice. Reeves’ journal entries within days of Greene’s death showed an awareness of the potential fallout. Reeves, who described Greene’s death as “awful but lawful,” stepped down in late 2020 amid criticism. Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers continued to raise the car crash theory.
wftv.com3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justice
(Louisiana State Police via AP, File) (Uncredited)MONROE, La. Now, even as as Greene’s May 10, 2019, death has engulfed Louisiana’s premier law enforcement agency in controversy, it remains an open wound for a grieving family still seeking justice. Reeves’ journal entries within days of Greene’s death showed an awareness of the potential fallout. Reeves, who described Greene’s death as “awful but lawful,” stepped down in late 2020 amid criticism. Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers continued to raise the car crash theory.
wftv.comPolice boss journal cites early angst in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - Louisiana State Police Supt. Reeves’ attorney, Lewis Unglesby, said the delays in the Greene case “are not at the foot at all of Kevin Reeves,” saying it fell to his subordinates to get to the bottom of what happened. At times, Greene could be heard pleading for mercy and wailing, "I'm your brother! John Bel Edwards within hours that troopers arresting Greene had engaged in a "violent, lengthy struggle." Last week, one senior state police official told lawmakers he was "mystified" that no troopers have yet faced criminal charges.
wftv.comLawmakers seek police boss' journals in Ronald Greene probe
Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers told Greene's family and wrote in reports that he died as the result of a car crash after a high-speed chase outside Monroe. Last week, one senior state police official told lawmakers he was “mystified” that no troopers have yet faced criminal charges in Greene's death. Reeves, who described Greene’s death as “awful but lawful” and stepped down in late 2020 amid criticism, has sought to downplay his own involvement in the case. Magee said he thought the entry — which was made around the time protests over George Floyd’s killing were erupting across the country — could be related to Greene’s death. A spokesperson for the governor said Edwards likely saw Reeves on June 17, 2020, but they did not discuss Greene.
wftv.comPolice official on leave amid probe over Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe Louisiana State Police Lt. Col. Doug Cain, the agency’s second in command, confers with Gail Holland, a Louisiana State Police attorney, while testifying Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in Baton Rouge, La., before a legislative panel conducting an "all-levels" probe into the fatal 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Davis' move came a day after lawmakers on a special committee looking into the Greene case complained about the lack of action against the troopers involved in Greene's arrest and the higher-ups in charge of investigating the case. John Belton, the district attorney in Union Parish, where Greene died, said he was first alerted to a report on Greene's death in September 2019. He alerted federal authorities and said he has held off on prosecutions at the request of federal prosecutors as they pursued the case. Belton said the federal investigation continues but he's been released from his promise to stand down and plans to request a court to empanel a special grand jury to look into Greene's death.
wftv.comPolice official on leave amid probe over Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe Louisiana State Police Lt. Col. Doug Cain, the agency’s second in command, confers with Gail Holland, a Louisiana State Police attorney, while testifying Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in Baton Rouge, La., before a legislative panel conducting an "all-levels" probe into the fatal 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Davis' move came a day after lawmakers on a special committee looking into the Greene case complained about the lack of action against the troopers involved in Greene's arrest and the higher-ups in charge of investigating the case. John Belton, the district attorney in Union Parish, where Greene died, said he was first alerted to a report on Greene's death in September 2019. He alerted federal authorities and said he has held off on prosecutions at the request of federal prosecutors as they pursued the case. Belton said the federal investigation continues but he's been released from his promise to stand down and plans to request a court to empanel a special grand jury to look into Greene's death.
wftv.comLouisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - This image from video from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body-worn camera shows troopers holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. No longer waiting for a federal investigation, state prosecutor Union Parish District Attorney John Belton says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Greene. John Bel Edwards on down refused to release troopers' body-camera video for more than two years until The Associated Press obtained and published it last year. That jump-started the ongoing federal investigation into Greene's death, which expanded to look into whether state police brass obstructed justice to protect the troopers. Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers pushed the car crash narrative.
wftv.comLouisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - This image from video from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body-worn camera shows troopers holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. No longer waiting for a federal investigation, state prosecutor Union Parish District Attorney John Belton says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Greene. John Bel Edwards on down refused to release troopers' body-camera video for more than two years until The Associated Press obtained and published it last year. That jump-started the ongoing federal investigation into Greene's death, which expanded to look into whether state police brass obstructed justice to protect the troopers. Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers pushed the car crash narrative.
wftv.com'Torture and murder': Ronald Greene case turns cop vs. cop
The video obtained by The Associated Press shows Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging the Black man as he apologizes for leading them on a high-speed chase. “Nobody in my chain of command wanted anything done," Lt. Scott Brown told a special committee investigating the state’s handling of Greene’s death. John Bel Edwards was informed within hours that troopers arresting Greene had engaged in a "violent, lengthy struggle." But he stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers told Greene's family and wrote in reports that he died as the result of a car crash after a high-speed chase outside Monroe. Scott Davis, the agency's use-of-force expert, told lawmakers.
wftv.comFormer police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death-Federal Probe FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2017, file photo, Louisiana State Police Supt. State troopers initially told Greene's family and wrote in reports that he died as the result of a car crash after a high-speed chase outside Monroe. Reeves, however, insisted he believed the crash "would definitely be a contributing factor” in Greene's death and said he has not seen the new autopsy. Lawmakers questioned Reeves closely about when he first viewed the videos of Greene's death. Clary, the highest-ranking official at the scene of Greene’s death, was accused of falsely denying the existence of his own body camera video.
wftv.comFormer police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene death
The former head of the Louisiana State Police says Gov. John Bel Edwards trusted his troopers to "do the right thing” and took a hands-off approach in police matters, even after Black motorist Ronald Greene died in a violent confrontation with troopers.
Former police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene death
Gov. John Bel Edwards trusted Louisiana State Police to “do the right thing” and took a hands-off approach in police matters, even after Black motorist Ronald Greene died in a violent confrontation with troopers following a high-speed chase, the former head of the agency told state lawmakers Tuesday. Kevin Reeves distanced himself — and the Democratic governor — from the investigation of Greene’s 2019 death during a three-hour bipartisan grilling that included accusations of racism and gross negligence by the state's premier law enforcement agency. The hearing became heated at times as lawmakers expressed incredulity and frustration in Reeves' demurrals and refusal to condemn the white troopers captured on body camera video punching, stunning and dragging Greene during his fatal arrest on a rural roadside in northeast Louisiana.
news.yahoo.comAP-NORC poll: Many Black Americans doubtful on police reform
Only 20% of Black Americans who think more needs to be done are optimistic; 49% are pessimistic. The poll shows there is common ground on the issue across racial and ethnic groups, but also suggests there is urgency felt among Black Americans more than white Americans. More white Americans than Black Americans say there has already been significant progress toward racial equality in policing, 30% vs. 10%. And while at least three-quarters of white and Black Americans say more progress is needed, Black Americans are much more likely than white Americans to say a lot more needs to be done, 70% vs. 47%. Black Americans, in particular, bore the brunt of police militarization and laws that imposed mandatory minimum prison terms.
wftv.com'We're owning it': La. state police undergo outside review
The Louisiana State Police have hired an outside consultant to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the scandal-plagued agency, a potentially years-long process intended to help restore public trust following a string of high-profile beatings of Black motorists. — (AP) — The Louisiana State Police have hired an outside consultant to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the scandal-plagued agency, a potentially years-long process intended to help restore public trust following a string of high-profile beatings of Black motorists. “I don’t like how we got here, but we're here," Davis told an oversight committee at the state Capitol. We’re fixing it.”The $1.5 million outside review comes amid federal grand jury investigations into the beatings, including the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, 49. The outside review will proceed whether or not the U.S. Justice Department conducts a “pattern and practice” investigation of potential racial profiling by the overwhelmingly white male force, Davis said.
wftv.comLawmakers launch 'all levels' probe into Ronald Greene death
House Speaker Rep. Clay Schexnayder said he launched the probe in response to an Associated Press report last month that showed Democratic Gov. “The actions taken that night and the cryptic decisions and statements made every step of the way since then have eroded public trust." Edwards' news conference marked the first time he characterized the actions of the troopers involved in Greene’s arrest as “racist." Lawmakers are also expected to request a range of documents, including text messages from Edwards that he has yet to release in response to a public records request by AP. Cortez also backed Schexnayder’s account of the governor saying there was no need for lawmakers to take action.
wftv.comLawmakers launch 'all levels' probe into Ronald Greene death
Louisiana’s House speaker announced a bipartisan legislative investigation Thursday into the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene, an inquiry that will examine the state's response at “all levels," from troopers to the governor.
Louisiana governor denies he delayed probe in deadly arrest
John Bel Edwards speaks about the investigation into the death of Ronald Greene in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. “I can’t imagine if Mr. Greene had been white he would have been treated that way," an emotional Edwards told a news conference. We have to call it what it is.”The Democratic governor rejected the idea that his response to the Greene case was driven by a tight reelection campaign that depended heavily on the Black vote. He said that notion is nonsensical because prosecutors had the Greene case well before his election. "They’re alleging that I have been personally involved in these things and I have not,” Edwards told the caucus.
wftv.comLa. GOP leader weighs action over gov's 'gross misconduct'
Louisiana's top GOP lawmaker weighed taking legislative action Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 against Gov. John Bel Edwards for "gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit" in his response to the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, file) (Melinda Deslatte)Louisiana’s top GOP lawmaker weighed taking legislative action Monday against Gov. John Bel Edwards for “gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit” in his response to the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene. “This would demonstrate gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit on behalf of the governor and others,” Schexnayder said in a statement.
wftv.comLa. GOP leader weighs action over gov's 'gross misconduct'
Louisiana’s top GOP lawmaker weighed taking legislative action Monday against Gov. John Bel Edwards for “gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit” in his response to the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene. House Speaker Rep. Clay Schexnayder’s comments followed an Associated Press report that showed the Democratic governor was informed within hours that troopers arresting Greene engaged in a “violent, lengthy struggle," yet he stayed silent for two years as state police told a much different story to the victim’s family and in official reports: that Greene died from a crash after a high-speed chase. “This would demonstrate gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit on behalf of the governor and others,” Schexnayder said in a statement.
news.yahoo.comGovernor kept mum amid conflicting accounts of deadly arrest
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat in a deep-red state, was immersed in a difficult reelection campaign when he received a text message from the head of the state police: Troopers had engaged in “a violent, lengthy struggle” with a Black motorist, ending with the man’s death. Edwards was notified of the circumstances of Ronald Greene’s death within hours of his May 2019 arrest, according to text messages The Associated Press obtained through a public records request.
news.yahoo.comRonald Greene’s mother searches for truth and justice in her son’s death
Ronald Greene’s remains are a raw and constant reminder to his mother of the man’s fatal confrontation with the Louisiana State Police more than two years ago. More than two years into a federal civil rights investigation into Greene’s death, none of the officers involved in his arrest have been criminally charged. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 Mona Hardin Ronald Greene’s mother searches for truth and justice in her son’s death (AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Friends and family remember him as energetic, generous and charming, with a wide grin that women found irresistible. Read: ‘I’m scared’: Bodycam footage shows 2019 death of Black man in Louisiana troopers’ custody“He was resilient,” said Terrance Key, a childhood friend. Hardin’s first ray of hope came when a civil rights law firm in Philadelphia agreed to take her case and filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit just before the first anniversary of Greene’s death.
wftv.comIn Ronald Greene's death, a mother's defiant quest for truth
“We have to relive this constantly,” Hardin told The Associated Press in an interview near her Orlando-area home. “They took joy in killing him.”Hardin recoils at the pattern of police misconduct that's emerged since her quest began. And by the state police's own count, 67% of troopers' uses of force in recent years targeted Black people. After a federal probe that’s dragged on more than two years, still none of the officers involved in Greene’s arrest has been criminally charged. The crash claim became even less plausible to Greene’s family when they saw his vehicle, which had only minor damage.
wftv.comMom demands answers in Black man's deadly Louisiana arrest
Ronald Greene’s mother chastised Louisiana state lawmakers Monday for not acting quickly enough to hold state troopers accountable for her son’s deadly 2019 arrest, saying the Black motorist’s death at the end of a high-speed chase was a “murder” that's been covered up, sugarcoated and mired in bureaucracy.
Ahmaud Arbery's mom: Thankful for justice and son's legacy
This is the first Thanksgiving we are saying we got justice for Ahmaud,” Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. Cooper-Jones said after the verdicts were read Wednesday, she thought of her son's supporters at the Glynn County courthouse every day who shouted "Justice for Ahmaud!" Thankful that now we can start healing,” Arbery's aunt Thea Brooks told the AP. Cooper-Jones is also thankful her son's killers are facing justic e and his death will make Georgia a safer place. After Arbery's death, Georgia became the 47th state to pass a hate crimes law.
wftv.comAhmaud Arbery's mom: Thankful for justice and son's legacy
This is the first Thanksgiving we are saying we got justice for Ahmaud,” Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. Cooper-Jones said after the verdicts were read Wednesday, she thought of her son's supporters at the Glynn County courthouse every day who shouted "Justice for Ahmaud!" Thankful that now we can start healing,” Arbery's aunt Thea Brooks told the AP. Cooper-Jones is also thankful her son's killers are facing justic e and his death will make Georgia a safer place. After Arbery's death, Georgia became the 47th state to pass a hate crimes law.
wftv.comNew Ronald Greene autopsy dumps crash theory in fatal arrest
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - This file image from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body-worn camera video shows other troopers holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. A reexamined autopsy ordered up by the FBI in the deadly arrest of Greene has rejected the Louisiana State Police claim that a car crash caused his fatal injuries, narrowing prosecutors’ focus on the troopers seen on body camera video beating, stunning and dragging him. Louisiana State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Yet even after AP published video of Greene’s violent arrest, state officials and advocates for the troopers repeated the crash theory, with Gov. That trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, died last year in a single-vehicle crash hours after he learned he would be fired for his role in the Greene case.
wftv.comAP: New autopsy rejects crash theory in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - This file image from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body-worn camera video shows other troopers holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. Still unclear was whether the new autopsy would prompt the Union Parish coroner to change the manner of Greene's death from accidental to homicide, which could affect the charges available to state and federal prosecutors. Louisiana State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Yet even after AP published video of Greene’s violent arrest, state officials and advocates for the troopers repeated the crash theory, with Gov. That trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, died last year in a single-vehicle crash hours after he learned he would be fired for his role in the Greene case.
wftv.comAP: New autopsy rejects crash theory in Ronald Greene death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - This file image from Louisiana State Police Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body-worn camera video shows other troopers holding up Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. Still unclear was whether the new autopsy would prompt the Union Parish coroner to change the manner of Greene's death from accidental to homicide, which could affect the charges available to state and federal prosecutors. Louisiana State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Yet even after AP published video of Greene’s violent arrest, state officials and advocates for the troopers repeated the crash theory, with Gov. That trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, died last year in a single-vehicle crash hours after he learned he would be fired for his role in the Greene case.
wftv.comIn Louisiana, a father, a son and a culture of police abuse
Growing up in the piney backwoods of northern Louisiana, where yards were dotted with crosses and the occasional Confederate flag, Jacob Brown was raised on hunting, fishing and dreams of becoming a state trooper. Fortunately for Brown, the state police was known as a place where who you knew often trumped what you did, and where most introductory chats eventually got around to a simple question: Who’s your daddy? Jacob Brown is the son of Bob Brown, then part of the state police’s top brass who would rise to second in command despite being reprimanded years earlier for calling Black colleagues the n-word and hanging a Confederate flag in his office.
news.yahoo.comIn Louisiana, a father, a son and a culture of police abuse
Growing up in the piney backwoods of northern Louisiana, where yards were dotted with crosses and the occasional Confederate flag, Jacob Brown was raised on hunting, fishing and dreams of becoming a state trooper. Fortunately for Brown, the state police was known as a place where who you knew often trumped what you did, and where most introductory chats eventually got around to a simple question: Who’s your daddy? Jacob Brown is the son of Bob Brown, then part of the state police’s top brass who would rise to second in command despite being reprimanded years earlier for calling Black colleagues the n-word and hanging a Confederate flag in his office.
news.yahoo.comLouisiana police boss says he's open to federal oversight
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - In this Friday, May 21, 2021 file photo, Col. Lamar Davis, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, speaks about the agency's release of video involving the death of Ronald Greene, at a press conference in Baton Rouge, La. Greene was jolted with stun guns, put in a chokehold and beaten by troopers, and his death is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. “It challenged me emotionally, not just from a law enforcement perspective but as a citizen,” Davis said of viewing the footage. Belton became so concerned with the circumstances of Greene’s death two years ago that he referred the case to federal authorities, who began a civil rights investigation. But Davis on Friday insisted he had not asked Belton “or any other official to not pursue charges on any of my employees” in Greene’s death.
wftv.comLeaked memo shows Louisiana State Police asked staff not to destroy Ronald Greene case files, more than 2 years after his death
Louisiana State Police told staff to preserve records in the case of Ronald Greene, who died in custody in 2019, according to a leaked memo reviewed by Insider.
news.yahoo.comAP: Body cam prompts new look at what killed Black motorist
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe FILE - In this May 10, 2019 image from Louisiana State Trooper Dakota DeMoss' body camera, troopers hold Ronald Greene before paramedics arrived outside of Monroe, La. The video shows Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging Greene as he apologizes for leading them on a high-speed chase. The initial examination of Greene’s body two years ago failed to determine whether his most severe injuries were caused by the troopers' violent use of force or a minor crash that followed the police chase. Hollingsworth, who later admitted striking Greene in the head with a flashlight, died last year in a single-vehicle crash hours after he learned he would be fired for his role in the Greene case. Greene can be seen in the body cam video struggling to prop himself up on his side.
wftv.comAP: Body cam prompts new look at what killed Black motorist
The FBI is taking the unusual step of ordering a new look at the autopsy of Black motorist Ronald Greene to consider evidence not provided after his 2019 death, including body camera video of Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging him during his arrest.
AP: Body cam prompts new look at what killed Black motorist
The FBI is taking the unusual step of ordering a new look at the autopsy of Black motorist Ronald Greene to consider evidence not provided after his 2019 death, including graphic body camera video of Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging him after a high-speed chase. “No cause of death is carved in stone,” Peretti told the AP.
news.yahoo.comLouisiana police blocked investigators from charging one of their own for the death of an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop: report
A Louisiana State Police investigator said in documents obtained by USA Today Network that he was blocked from charging an officer in Greene's death.
news.yahoo.comActivists: Charge Louisiana troopers in Black man's death
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe This image from video from Louisiana state trooper Lt. John Clary's body-worn camera shows trooper Kory York standing over Ronald Greene on his stomach on May 10, 2019, outside of Monroe, La. Civil rights attorney Ron Haley added, “Make no mistake: Ron Greene was murdered at the hands of Louisiana State Police.”Greene’s death is already under investigation by state and federal authorities. Morial said state police should fire and arrest the troopers involved. Speakers reiterated their demands for the troopers’ arrest and some blasted Democratic Gov. The video shows troopers converging on Greene’s car outside Monroe, Louisiana, after a high-speed chase that followed an unspecified traffic violation.
wftv.comActivists: Charge Louisiana troopers in Black man's death
(Louisiana State Police via AP) (Uncredited)NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — Louisiana State Police troopers involved in the violent arrest of a Black motorist who died in police custody in 2019 should be fired and arrested, leaders of the National Urban League and other civil rights groups said Thursday. Since then, Greene’s death has come under investigation by state and federal authorities. The video shows troopers converging on Greene’s car outside Monroe, Louisiana, after a high-speed chase that followed an unspecified traffic violation. An autopsy cited the restraint and an “inflicted head injury” as factors in Greene's death, along with cocaine-induced delirium and other injuries that might have been the result of the car crash. The ACLU of Louisiana said the afternoon rally will include representatives of the NAACP of Louisiana and Greene's family.
wftv.comActivists: Fire, charge Louisiana cops in Black man's death
(Louisiana State Police via AP) (Uncredited)NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — Louisiana State Police troopers involved in the violent arrest of a Black motorist who died in police custody in 2019 should be fired and arrested, leaders of the National Urban League and other civil rights groups said Thursday. Since then, Greene’s death has come under investigation by state and federal authorities. The video shows troopers converging on Greene’s car outside Monroe, Louisiana, after a high-speed chase that followed an unspecified traffic violation. An autopsy cited the restraint and an “inflicted head injury” as factors in Greene's death, along with cocaine-induced delirium and other injuries that might have been the result of the car crash. The ACLU of Louisiana said the afternoon rally will include representatives of the NAACP of Louisiana and Greene's family.
wftv.comShackled Black man ordered facedown in deadly arrest in Louisiana
Beaten and shackled by Louisiana state troopers, Black motorist Ronald Greene desperately tried to roll over in what may have been a struggle to breathe but was ordered to stay on his belly, according to body-camera video newly obtained by The Associated Press.
'Gonna be sore:' La. troopers boasted of beating Black man
New court filings show Louisiana State Police troopers joked in a group text about beating a Black man after a high-speed chase last year, saying the beating would give the man nightmares for a long time. “He gonna be sore tomorrow for sure,” Trooper Jacob Brown, who was charged in the case and resigned Wednesday, texted three of his colleagues. They also exchanged 14 text messages peppered with “lol” and “haha” responses in which they boasted about the beating and mocked Harris. DeMoss and Harper also are charged in Harris' arrest and were placed on administrative leave after the internal investigation. Troopers initially blamed 49-year-old's death on a crash at the end of a high-speed chase.
AP: Trooper kicked, dragged Black man who died in custody
A Louisiana State Police trooper has been suspended without pay for kicking and dragging Greene, a handcuffed Black man whose in-custody death remains unexplained and the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. Body camera footage shows Master Trooper Kory York dragging Greene on his stomach by the leg shackles following a violent arrest and high-speed pursuit, according to internal State Police records obtained by The Associated Press. (Courtesy of the Greene family via AP)A Louisiana State Police trooper has been suspended without pay for kicking and dragging a handcuffed Black man whose in-custody death remains unexplained and the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. The video shows troopers choking and beating the man, repeatedly jolting him with stun guns and dragging him face-down across the pavement, the attorney told AP. AdState Police have repeatedly refused to publicly release the body camera footage.
Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody death
Greene died following a police chase in Louisiana in 2019, and his death is now under federal investigation. “This family has been lied to the entire time about what happened,” said civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who also viewed the footage. Police initially told Greene’s family he had “died on impact” after crashing into a tree, the doctor wrote. Greene’s death, which followed a chase near Monroe over an unspecified traffic violation, was ruled accidental and attributed to cardiac arrest, said Renee Smith, the Union Parish coroner who was not in office when that determination was made. The State Police report refers to Greene crashing into a tree as the “the most harmful event” in the crash.
Trooper who faced firing in Black man's death dies in crash
(Michael M. Santiago/Pool via AP)A Louisiana state trooper has died following a single-vehicle highway crash that happened just hours after he learned he would be fired for his role last year in the in-custody death of a Black man. Authorities initially said Greene died after crashing his vehicle into a tree following a high-speed chase in rural northern Louisiana that began over an unspecified traffic violation. But Greene’s family alleges troopers used excessive force and “brutalized” him while taking him into custody. The controversy deepened last week when Greene’s family released graphic photographs showing deep bruises and cuts to his face, and other photos showing his car with little damage. State Police have said only that the 49-year-old Greene died “after resisting arrest and a struggle with troopers” who took him into custody.
Trooper wounded in crash faced firing in Black man's death
The death of the 49-year-old remains shrouded in secrecy because State Police have declined to release body-camera footage related to the May 2019 chase north of Monroe, La. (Courtesy of the Greene family via AP)A Louisiana state trooper was critically injured early Monday in a single-vehicle highway crash that came hours after learning he would be fired for his role last year in the in-custody death of a Black man. The crash Monday that critically wounded Hollingsworth happened along Interstate 20 in Monroe shortly before 3 a.m., just hours after the trooper received a letter Sunday of “intent for discipline,” said Capt. Greene's death also remains the subject of a civil rights investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department. He called for an investigation of “everybody up the chain of command” who had been aware of the agency's response to Greene's death.
AP: Feds probing in-custody death of Black man in Louisiana
The handling of Greene's death has eroded the agency's credibility even further, said Eugene W. Collins, president of the Baton Rouge branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Shreveport confirmed the federal investigation into Greene's death but declined further comment. State Police have released few details about Greene's death. Greene's family contends the crash was not serious enough to account for his fatal injuries. “Obviously the body cam footage is critical,” said Mark Maguire, a Philadelphia attorney also representing Greene's family.