US justice department to investigate Louisiana State Police following 2019 death of Ronald Greene

The US Department of Justice has announced a federal civil rights investigation into the Louisiana State Police following a series of brutality cases and the fatal beating of a Black motorist, Ronald Greene, in 2019.

The justice department received information related to excessive force used against individuals suspected of minor traffic violations, those already handcuffed or not resisting, Clarke said.

The state police force came under sharp focus after the in-custody death of Greene, an unarmed 49-year-old, who was arrested by six white officers. Body camera footage of the incident, obtained years later by the Associated Press, revealed he had been punched, tasered and placed in a chokehold and later dragged face down in handcuffs and left prone for more than nine minutes.

The federal civil rights investigation will be conducted jointly by the three US attorneys offices in Louisiana and marks the fifth civil rights investigation into law enforcement announced under the Biden administration.

Other police forces under federal investigation include city departments in Minneapolis and Louisville.

If the investigation finds patterns or practices of constitutional violations the justice department can pursue a legal settlement forcing reforms to the department through federal court.