WEATHER ALERT
'Where's Ronald Greene's justice?': 5 years on, feds still silent on Black motorist's deadly arrest
Read full article: 'Where's Ronald Greene's justice?': 5 years on, feds still silent on Black motorist's deadly arrestRonald Greene’s deadly arrest on a rural Louisiana roadside in 2019 sparked outrage after The Associated Press published long-suppressed body-camera video showing white state troopers stunning, beating and dragging the Black motorist as he wailed, “I’m scared!”.
Expanding clergy sexual abuse probe targets New Orleans Catholic church leaders
Read full article: Expanding clergy sexual abuse probe targets New Orleans Catholic church leadersAuthorities are expanding their investigation of clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans to include church leaders suspected of shielding predatory priests and failing to report crimes to law enforcement.
Prosecutors dismiss charges against Louisiana troopers who bragged of beating a Black motorist
Read full article: Prosecutors dismiss charges against Louisiana troopers who bragged of beating a Black motoristLouisiana prosecutors have quietly dismissed charges against state police troopers who were recorded beating a Black motorist.
Officials say at least 7 dead in massive vehicle crashes in south Louisiana due to ‘Superfog’
Read full article: Officials say at least 7 dead in massive vehicle crashes in south Louisiana due to ‘Superfog’Authorities say at least seven people have been killed after a “superfog” of smoke from south Louisiana marsh fires and dense fog caused multiple massive car crashes involving 158 vehicles.
Louisiana judge tosses some charges against officers in deadly arrest of Black driver Ronald Greene
Read full article: Louisiana judge tosses some charges against officers in deadly arrest of Black driver Ronald GreeneA state judge has thrown out obstruction of justice charges against two of the five Louisiana lawmen indicted in the fatal 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, a death authorities initially blamed on a car crash before long suppressed body-camera video showed the white officers beating, stunning and dragging the Black motorist.
Who are officers charged in Ronald Greene's deadly arrest?
Read full article: Who are officers charged in Ronald Greene's deadly arrest?Five Louisiana law enforcement officers have been charged with state crimes for their roles in the 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, whose death authorities initially blamed on a car crash until The Associated Press published long-withheld body-camera video showing the Black motorist being stunned, beaten and dragged.
Most families allowed back home after derailment, acid spill
Read full article: Most families allowed back home after derailment, acid spillAuthorities in southeast Louisiana's St. James Parish say all but two families have been allowed to return to their homes a day after a train car derailment and hydrochloric acid leak forced the evacuation of 200 residences.
Mother, boyfriend accused of taking 5 missing children from Cypress area captured by Louisiana State Police, deputies say
Read full article: Mother, boyfriend accused of taking 5 missing children from Cypress area captured by Louisiana State Police, deputies sayThe mother and stepfather who allegedly took five children from the Cypress area have been captured in Baton Rouge, according to the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office.
Police leader caught speeding: ‘I need to slow my butt down’
Read full article: Police leader caught speeding: ‘I need to slow my butt down’The superintendent of Louisiana State Police acknowledges he was pulled over for speeding in an unmarked work vehicle but did not receive a ticket from one of his own officers.
Justice Department opens probe into Louisiana State Police
Read full article: Justice Department opens probe into Louisiana State PoliceThe U.S. Justice Department is opening a sweeping civil rights investigation into the Louisiana State Police amid mounting evidence that the agency has looked the other way in the face of beatings of mostly Black men, including the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene.
3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justice
Read full article: 3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justiceThree years ago, when a beaten and battered Ronald Greene drew his final breath on a rural roadside, his death in Louisiana State Police custody seemed destined for obscurity.
Police official on leave amid probe over Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Police official on leave amid probe over Ronald Greene deathThe second-in-command of Louisiana State Police has been placed on leave while an investigation continues into the wiping of his cellphone data during an investigation into Black motorist Ronald Greene’s death.
Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene deathNo longer waiting for a federal investigation, a state prosecutor says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene.
Activists: Charge Louisiana troopers in Black man's death
Read full article: Activists: Charge Louisiana troopers in Black man's deathThe National Urban League and other civil rights activists are calling for authorities to fire and prosecute Louisiana State Police troopers involved in the 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, a Black man who died in police custody.
'Gonna be sore:' La. troopers boasted of beating Black man
Read full article: 'Gonna be sore:' La. troopers boasted of beating Black manNew 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
Read full article: AP: Trooper kicked, dragged Black man who died in custodyA 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.
AP: Use of slurs not 'isolated' at Louisiana State Police
Read full article: AP: Use of slurs not 'isolated' at Louisiana State PoliceFILE - In this Sept. 25, 2020 file photo, a heavy Louisiana State Police presence is seen at the New Chapel Hill Baptist Church during funeral services for Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth in West Monroe, La. An Associated Press review of thousands of records has revealed multiple cases when Louisiana State troopers and some of their supervisors exchanged emails with casual, demeaning uses of the n-word. – A Black trooper with the Louisiana State Police was on a break when his cellphone buzzed with an unusual voice message. “I believe this to be an isolated incident and I have great confidence in the men and women who serve in the Louisiana State Police,” the agency’s outgoing head, Col. Kevin Reeves, said in response to the controversy. John Bel Edwards appointed a Black State Police captain, Lamar Davis, to succeed Reeves, who is white.
Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody death
Read full article: Black man's family views graphic video of in-custody deathGreene 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 quietly buried amid scrutiny over Black man's death
Read full article: Trooper quietly buried amid scrutiny over Black man's deathA Louisiana State Police motorcycle honor guard precedes the hearse carrying the body of Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in West Monroe, La. Hollingsworth, who was white, was the only one of six troopers placed on leave earlier this month in the May 2019 death of Greene following a high-speed chase. Police initially told Greene’s family he died from injuries in a crash but later acknowledged troopers “struggled” with him during the arrest. Unlike other trooper deaths, Hollingsworth’s was not announced internally by the agency’s superintendent, Col. Kevin Reeves. “The Hollingsworth family has elected to have a private ceremony for family and friends and asks for privacy at this time,” said Lt. Nick Manale, a State Police spokesman.
Trooper who faced firing in Black man's death dies in crash
Read full article: 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
Read full article: Trooper wounded in crash faced firing in Black man's deathThe 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
Read full article: AP: Feds probing in-custody death of Black man in LouisianaThe 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.