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49-year-old African-American Ronald Greene died in 2019 while in the custody of the Louisiana State Police. After a long-suppressed video captured on a bodycam was released, it was found that Greene was stunned, beaten, and dragged by five law enforcement officials.
Five Caucasian Louisiana cops have been charged with the death of Ronald Greene. The tragic incident took place on May 10, 2019, when an African-American motorist died. Initially, the police blamed the death on a crash.
The case got little to no attention until an Associated Press investigation uncovered a bodycam video that captured the incident that took place in 2019. The video witnessed the cops dragging and beating up Ronald Greene.
Trigger Warning: The content below contains graphic information. Viewer discretion is advised.
Master Trooper, Kory York to face charges of negligent homicide in Ronald Greene case
On Thursday, December 15, 2022, five law enforcement officers from the Louisiana Police Department were charged with several crimes, including negligent homicide for the bloody death of Ronald Greene.
Mona Hardin, Greene’s mother maintained the pressure on federal officers to continue investigating the case. Hardin vowed not to bury the remains of her son Ronald “Ronnie” Greene until justice is served. As per AP, she said:
“We’re all excited for the indictments, but are they actually going to pay for it? As happy as we are, we want something to stick.”
One of the officers charged in the case is Master Trooper, Kory York. In the bodycam footage, he was seen dragging Greene onto the ground. He also forced the motorist down in the dirt for more than nine minutes. The force instructor of the state troops describes his actions as “torture and murder.” Kory York faces charges of negligent homicide and 10 counts of malfeasance in office.
One trooper charged in the case initially denied the presence of any bodycam footage, while another exaggerated the resistance shown by Ronald Greene. A Union Parish sheriff’s Deputy named Christopher Harpin was heard saying:
“Yeah, yeah, that s*** hurts, doesn’t it?”
One of the accused, who was a regional state police commander, forced detectives not to make any arrests in the case that resulted in the horrific death of Ronald Greene.
Co. Lamar Davis, the head of state police stated:
“These actions are inexcusable and have no place in professional public safety services.”
The coroner revealed that the cause of Ronald Greene's death was a car accident
Union Parish DA John Belton submitted arrest warrants for all five state troopers involved in the 2019 case., He also mentioned that the grand jury in the case was reportedly racially mixed.
The jury heard several testimonies and detailed reports regarding the events that transpired on May 10, 2019, that led to the tragic death of Greene. Eventually, a medical expert mentioned that Greene’s death must be treated as a homicide. The jury is also hearing matters related to whether the State Police was trying to protect the troopers and obstruct justice.
An investigation discovered that Ronald Greene’s death was treated and investigated with secrecy from the very beginning. It was claimed that he died in a car crash near Monroe. However, the claim raised questions not only among Greene’s family but also by a medical professional who saw Ronald’s maltreated body.
Despite such questions, the coroner revealed that the cause of death was a car accident. Any mention of the state troopers was reportedly removed, and it took over 460 days to begin an internal probe. The bodycam footage of State Trooper Dakota DeMoss was also not revealed even after constant requests, citing an ongoing investigation.
The footage was eventually revealed by the Associated Press last year. It showed how the officers surrounded Greene’s car. It captured them torturing him by dragging him to the ground, repeatedly stunning him, and punching Greene as well. Ronald Greene could be heard begging and pleading with the troopers.
He was heard saying:
“I’m your brother! I’m scared! I’m scared!”
At one point, Kory York could be heard ordering Ronald Greene to:
“Lay on your f*****g belly as I told you to!”
The accused Louisiana officers have been identified as Master Trooper Kory York, former state police Capt. John Peters, Trooper Dakota DeMoss, Christopher Harpin, and Lt. John Clary. York faces the most serious charges out of all of them. DeMoss was arrested last year on an unrelated case.
The bodycam footage belonged to DeMoss and he declined to comment on the case.
After the probe was initiated by the Associated Press, it was revealed that Ronald Greene's case was one of several cases where state police and troopers had concealed shreds of evidence regarding beatings during the arrests of mostly African-American men. Many believed that such a situation was the result of a widespread culture of racism and nepotism in the office.
