Federal prosecutors have decided not to bring charges in the 2019 arrest and death of Black motorist Ronald Greene, concluding a lengthy FBI investigation into the white Louisiana State Police troopers involved in the incident. Greene’s arrest, which turned deadly, raised allegations of excessive force and a cover-up by the state police.
The U.S. Justice Department informed Greene’s family of the decision on Tuesday. Officials also plan to release findings from a broader civil rights investigation that uncovered a pattern of excessive force by state troopers, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.
The civil rights investigation, launched in 2022, followed an Associated Press report detailing systemic misconduct within the Louisiana State Police. Greene’s case was one of at least a dozen incidents where troopers allegedly concealed evidence, impeded accountability, or deflected blame. In one case, a Black man was beaten with a flashlight 18 times, leaving him severely injured.
“There’s no closure here,” Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin, said after meeting with prosecutors. “I knew it was coming. They’re just pouring sugar on s—-.”
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Greene died after a high-speed chase ended outside Monroe, Louisiana. Body-camera footage, withheld for two years but published by AP in 2021, showed troopers dragging, punching, and stunning Greene as he pleaded for mercy, saying, “I’m your brother! I’m scared!”
Troopers restrained him face-down, a position experts say can dangerously restrict breathing. The initial explanation attributed Greene’s death to a car crash, but photos, medical reports, and a reexamined autopsy debunked this narrative, revealing injuries consistent with physical abuse.
Federal prosecutors wavered for years on whether to indict the troopers, citing the challenge of proving “willfulness” — a critical element in civil rights cases. Another setback was the 2020 death of Trooper Chris Hollingsworth, who was caught on tape admitting, “I beat the ever-living f— out of him.”
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State-level charges brought against five officers in 2022 have since dwindled. One officer pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, while the last remaining defendant is expected to enter a similar plea soon.
The federal investigation also examined allegations of obstruction by police leadership, including suppressing evidence and pressuring prosecutors. Meanwhile, Greene’s family continues to pursue a federal wrongful death lawsuit seeking damages from the officers, who deny wrongdoing.
The Justice Department’s broader civil rights findings, expected to be released later this week, may shed further light on systemic issues within the Louisiana State Police and the need for reform.
