US Department of Justice investigates Louisiana State Police for excessive force and racial discrimination News
US Department of Justice investigates Louisiana State Police for excessive force and racial discrimination

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday announced it was investigating the Louisiana State Police (LSP) for a pattern of “racially discriminatory policing.” Among the incidents being investigated is the fatal beating of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist, in 2019. There is an ongoing murder investigation into Greene’s death separate from the new civil rights investigation.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated:

Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information provided to us, we find significant justification to investigate whether Louisiana State Police engages in excessive force and engages in racially discriminatory policing against Black residents and other people of color. The Justice Department stands ready to use every tool in our arsenal to confront allegations of misconduct and to ensure legitimacy during encounters with law enforcement.

A report from the Associated Press (AP) brought many of the allegations being investigated to light. The AP found extensive body cam footage of alleged police brutality, disproportionality aimed at Black and Hispanic Louisiana residents. They also found that LSP repeatedly did not include their use of force in official incident reports. The AP also uncovered a text chain among LSP officers crassly discussing the beating of Antonio Harris, a Black man arrested after a high speed chase.

Greene’s death in particular has drawn heavy scrutiny. LSP initially claimed Greene was killed in a head-on collision with a tree; however, later evidence showed that Greene was beaten to death by several LSP officers while handcuffed. The Louisiana Senate Select Committee on State Police Oversight heard testimony from one LSP officer claiming he was harassed into participating in the coverup, saying, “I said I’m being investigated because I won’t participate in a coverup, I won’t hide evidence and I won’t lie.”

The Department of Justice has been criticized for taking too long to open the investigation. The Louisiana ACLU first brought the allegations to the DOJ’s attention in June of 2021 via a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland but the investigation was not opened for another year.

Neither the LSP nor their union have responded to the investigation as of writing, however, the International Union of Police Associations has previously criticized LSP leadership for understaffing and liberal use of internal investigations. 

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