(Louisiana State Police via AP)
Louisiana Police Death Federal Probe
NEW YORK (77WABC) – Body camera footage from a 2019 car chase shows Louisiana state troopers stunning and dragging a Black man as he apologizes for leading them on a high-speed chase. The footage was obtained by the Associated Press after the authorities refused to release the footage for two years.
The May 2019 arrest outside of Monroe, Louisiana, is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation after police initially told Greene’s family that his death was a result of crashing into a tree. A medical report released after his death noted that his injured body also had two taser probes in his back, and the video shows what occurred between Greene’s car stopping and his restraint into an ambulance where he went into cardiac arrest.
Body camera video obtained by @AP shows Louisiana state troopers stunning, punching and dragging Ronald Greene, a Black man, after a high-speed chase. Authorities refused to release the footage in the two years since Greene died in police custody. https://t.co/vWjFZR2BvF
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 19, 2021
Greene’s case has been accused of being a cover-up, as well as echoing the circumstances of George Floyd’s death, after the footage showed Greene being restrained and left on his stomach for nearly 10 minutes.
Louisiana State Police released a statement to multiple Louisiana-area news outlets after the release of the video:
“The investigation into the death of Ronald Greene remains under review by federal and state authorities. The premature public release of investigative files and video evidence in this case is not authorized and was not obtained through official sources. LSP is confident in the judicial system and fair review of this incident and continues to offer our full cooperation. Unauthorized release of evidence undermines the investigative process and compromises the fair and impartial outcome for the Greene family, LSP employees, and the community.”
Disciplinary action was taken against three of the officers involved in the arrest. Trooper Kory York was suspended for 50 hours, Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth died in a car crash after being fired, and Trooper Dakota DeMoss was arrested in connection to another excessive-force case.
