Global InformationKilling of Ronald Greene information
On May 10, 2019, Ronald Hardin Greene, an unarmed 49-year-old Black man, was killed after being arrested by Louisiana State Police following a high-speed chase outside Monroe, Louisiana. During the arrest, he was stunned, punched, pepper sprayed and placed in a chokehold.[1] He was also dragged face down while handcuffed and shackled, and he was left face down for at least nine minutes.[1] At least six white troopers were involved in the arrest; five were criminally charged in December 2022.
When Greene's corpse was brought to the hospital, police told doctors that his car had run into a tree, a story a doctor said "does not add up", given the nature of Greene's injuries and the fact that there were two stun-gun probes lodged in his body; police later acknowledged that Greene had died during a struggle, but did not mention specifics about any use of force by officers. Although authorities refused to release body camera footage for two years, the Associated Press obtained and published a portion of it in May 2021. In 2022, a medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.
One trooper involved in the death, Dakota DeMoss, was given letters of reprimand and counseling for violating the department's rules about courtesy and recordings. DeMoss was later arrested for using excessive force while handcuffing a motorist in a separate incident; he was subsequently fired in June 2021. A second trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, died in a single-vehicle car accident in September 2020, hours after learning he would be fired for his role in Greene's death. A third trooper, Kory York, was suspended for 50 hours for dragging Greene and improperly turning off his body camera, and has since returned to duty. As of May 2021[update], a federal wrongful death lawsuit and a federal civil rights investigation remain pending. In December 2022, five officers, including four state troopers and a Union Parish sheriff's deputy, were charged with crimes related to Greene's death. Master Trooper Kory York was charged with negligent homicide and ten counts of malfeasance in office, while other officers were charged with malfeasance and obstruction of justice.[2]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Mustianwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mustian, Jim; Bleiberg, Jake. "Louisiana officers charged in Black motorist's deadly arrest" (December 15, 2022). Associated Press. Retrieved December 15, 2022.