Louisiana trooper avoids jail time in deadly arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene

FARMERVILLE, La. -- A Louisiana authorities trooper pleaded nary title Monday to importantly reduced charges that spare him jailhouse clip successful nan deadly 2019 apprehension of Black motorist Ronald Greene, nan first condemnation of immoderate benignant successful a prolonged constabulary brutality lawsuit that erstwhile prompted nationalist outrage.

Kory York had faced nan astir superior charges of 5 officers indicted successful nan lawsuit 2 years agone aft body-camera video captured him dragging Greene by his ankle shackles and forcing him to dishonesty cuffed and facedown earlier he stopped breathing.

But alternatively of nan original felony charges of negligent homicide and malfeasance, York pleaded nary title to misdemeanor artillery successful speech for a twelvemonth of probation and an statement to attest against nan lone serviceman still facing trial.

The plea happened contempt vehement objections from Greene's family, which said they had been misled astir nan position of nan woody and robbed of nan chance to spot nan felony charges play retired astatine trial.

“My family is simply a unfortunate and we should person much of a say,” said Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, who refused to motion disconnected connected nan last-minute woody that prosecutors pushed amid fears York would beryllium acquitted successful a blimpish area of nan state.

“This shouldn’t extremity today,” she told nan packed courtroom. "It's wrong. It's unfair.”

District Attorney John Belton declined to opportunity Monday whether justness had been served successful Greene's death, noting nan lawsuit remains open.

York’s no-contest plea is efficaciously balanced to a blameworthy plea but nan condemnation can’t beryllium utilized successful nan wrongful-death suit revenge by Greene’s family. York, 51, besides will clasp his astir $83,000-a-year pension pursuing his August status from nan Louisiana State Police.

“This is intelligibly a triumph for Kory York," said his lawyer Mike Small. “It’s not an admittance of guilt."

It was a melodramatic anticlimax for a lawsuit erstwhile shrouded successful scandal, including allegations of a authorities constabulary cover-up and organization racism that ignited 2 still-unresolved national investigations. In nan fever pitch, then-Gov. John Bel Edwards called Greene’s curen criminal and racist, and Republican lawmakers threatened to impeach nan Democrat complete his handling of nan lawsuit only to wantonness a legislative enquiry without moreover questioning him.

Greene’s May 2019 decease was suspicious from nan outset erstwhile authorities authorities told grieving relatives that he died successful a car clang astatine nan extremity of a high-speed pursuit adjacent Monroe — an relationship instantly questioned by an emergency room doctor. Still, a authorities constabulary clang study omitted immoderate mention of troopers utilizing unit and 462 days passed earlier nan authorities constabulary launched an soul investigation. All nan while, officials from Edwards connected down refused to merchandise nan body-camera video.

But successful 2021 The Associated Press obtained and published nan footage showing troopers swarming Greene moreover arsenic he appeared to raise his hands, plead for mercy and wail, “I’m your brother! I’m scared!”

Troopers many times jolted him pinch stun guns, pinch 1 wrestling him to nan ground, putting him successful a chokehold and punching him successful nan face. One trooper struck Greene successful nan caput pinch a flashlight and was recorded bragging that he “beat nan ever-living f--- retired of him.” That trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, was considered nan astir culpable of nan half-dozen officers progressive successful nan apprehension but died successful a single-vehicle clang successful 2020 hours aft he learned he would beryllium fired.

York could beryllium seen connected nan video pressing nan shackled, heavyset Greene facedown to nan crushed for respective minutes and many times ordering him to “shut up” and “lay connected your f------ belly for illustration I told you to!” Experts said specified prone restraint could person dangerously restricted Greene’s breathing.

Though authorities constabulary suspended York for 50 hours for his domiciled successful Greene’s arrest, investigators were ne'er capable to pinpoint what caused nan 49-year-old’s death. Autopsy reports cited respective contributing factors, including troopers’ repeated usage of a stun gun, beingness struggle, prone restraint, blunt-force wounded and “complications of cocaine use,” pinch a forensic pathologist declining to place which was astir lethal.

That ambiguity prompted prosecutors past period to dismiss nan negligent homicide complaint against York and activity to discuss a plea woody to nan remaining 10 felony malfeasance counts against him.

Greene's decease was among respective beatings of Black men by Louisiana troopers that prompted nan U.S. Justice Department to unfastened an ongoing civil authorities investigation into nan authorities police’s usage of force. But national prosecutors still person not said whether they will record charges successful nan lawsuit pursuing a years-long FBI investigation.

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Contact AP’s world investigative squad astatine Investigative@ap.org.