BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD)- A rally demanding justice for Ronald Greene, who died in police custody in 2019 was held on May 27 at the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol. The family was joined by the NAACP, the Urban League of Louisiana, and many other social justice organizations.
The family, joined with attorneys Lee Merrit and Ron Haley, spoke and urged the Louisiana lawmakers to arrest the officers involved.
The rally and the call for justice has caught the attention of many celebrities, such as Houston rapper, Trae the Truth, and founder of “Until Freedom”, Tamika Mallory, who’s been on the frontlines demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and more.
It has been almost one week since the Louisiana Police Department released the body cam footage, giving a visual timeline of the moments leading to the death of Greene. The family wants the officers involved in Greene’s wrongful death to be held accountable and arrested.
Civil rights attorney Ron Haley said that after viewing the video footage, he knows without a doubt that Greene was brutally murdered at the hands of law enforcement.
“Make no mistake, Ron Greene was murdered at the hands of Louisiana State Police,” said Haley.
Gov. John Bel Edwards released a statement on the death of Ronald Greene. He says that what was seen in the video during the brutal encounter does not represent what the state of Louisiana stands for.
What happened was tragic, and I cannot imagine the immense pain of losing a child in such a terrible way. Nothing can make up for the disturbing treatment he received at the hands of some state troopers. I pledged to Ms. Mona Hardin that Louisiana State Police is cooperating fully with the Union Parish District Attorney and the United States Department of Justice in their investigations and that under the leadership of a new state police superintendent, change has already started at the agency.
I expect every trooper who wears a Louisiana State Police badge to act professionally under every circumstance, to seek to de-escalate violent or tense situations and to treat all people they encounter respectfully and justly. Law enforcement officers must hold themselves to the highest standards at all times. I certainly do. The officers seen on the body cam footage of Mr. Greene’s arrest do not represent what we aspire to in the state of Louisiana. Their actions were deeply unprofessional and incredibly disturbing. I am disappointed in them and in any officer who stood by and did not intervene during the arrest.
I am praying that ongoing investigations, which the state is cooperating with, will bring Mr. Greene’s family a measure of peace and justice.
