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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 27 September 2024
Louisiana prosecutors drop most serious charge in deadly arrest of

Black motorist Ronald Greene

By JIM MUSTIAN jury and neck compression,”
Associated Press but the forensic pathologist
Louisiana prosecutors on in Arkansas who examined
Thursday dismissed the most Greene declined to identify
serious remaining charge in which factor or factors were
the deadly 2019 arrest of most lethal.
Ronald Greene, dropping The case has been shroud-
a negligent homicide count ed in secrecy from its outset
against a veteran trooper when state authorities told
seen on body-camera video grieving relatives the 49-year-
dragging the Black motor- old died in a car crash at the
ist by his ankle shackles and end of a high-speed chase
forcing him to lie face down near Monroe an account
before he stopped breath- questioned immediately by
ing. an emergency room doctor
The move coming just a who noted Greene’s bruised,
month before Kory York’s trial battered body. Still, a coro-
marks only the latest wither- ner’s report listed Greene’s
ing of a case that began in cause of death as a motor
2022 with five officers indict- vehicle accident, a state
ed on a range of charges police crash report omitted
over the stunning, punch- any mention of troopers us-
ing and pepper-spraying ing any force and 462 days
of Greene following a high- This image from video from Louisiana state trooper Lt. John Clary’s body-worn camera shows passed before the state po-
speed chase. trooper Kory York standing over Ronald Greene on his stomach on May 10, 2019, outside of lice even launched an inter-
Now, only two still face Monroe, La. Associated Press nal investigation.
charges, multiple felony All the while, officials from
malfeasance counts against gives a rat’s ass.” case should never have derscores a weakness in the then-Gov. John Bel Ed-
York and another officer, all Union Parish District Attorney been indicted,” said York at- case that has also discour- wards on down refused to
but eliminating the chance John Belton said in a state- torney Mike Small, adding he aged the Justice Depart- release the body camera
that anyone will face signifi- ment that even though the seeks full exoneration of his ment from pursuing charges: video of Greene’s arrest.
cant prison time in a death grand jury indicted York for client at his Oct. 28 trial. “I am After years of investigating, That all changed in 2021
troopers initially blamed on negligent homicide, the confident that once the jury federal and state authori- when AP obtained and pub-
a car crash. evidence “does not meet looks a those videos they’re ties failed to pinpoint what, lished the long-suppressed
“This whole thing started with the ‘beyond a reasonable not going to see any illegal exactly, caused Greene’s footage showing troopers
a lie and a coverup and it’s doubt’ standard necessary touching of Ronald Greene death during the arrest. swarming Greene even as
going to end the same way,” to secure a conviction at by Kory York.” State prosecutors were long he appeared to raise his
a furious Mona Hardin told trial.” Greene’s May 2019 death skeptical the negligent homi- hands, plead for mercy and
The Associated Press when Belton also dropped a mal- sparked national outrage cide charge would hold up wail, “I’m your brother! I’m
told of the latest dropped feasance count against the and was among several in the face of autopsy reports scared!”
charge in her son’s death. recently retired York that beatings of Black men by that cited “complications of Troopers repeatedly jolted
“You have so much evi- stemmed from authorities’ Louisiana troopers that cocaine use” among con- him with stun guns before he
dence yet no one wants to still-unproven suspicion that prompted the U.S. Justice tributing factors to Greene’s could even get out of the
be the one pointing the fin- Greene was pepper-sprayed Department to open an on- death. Others included car, with one wrestling him
ger against killer cops,” she even after he was hand- going civil rights investigation troopers’ repeated use of a to the ground, putting him in
said through tears. “They cuffed. into the state police. stun gun, “physical struggle, a chokehold and punching
killed my son and no one “It’s clear to me that the But the latest dismissal un- prone restraint, blunt-force in- him in the face. q

U.S. resumes hazardous waste shipments to Michigan landfill from Ohio

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, judge signed an order that “We have resumed safely
Mich. (AP) — A federal temporarily freezes plans shipping material” from
agency said it has resumed for the landfill to accept Ohio to Michigan, said Av-
sending hazardous waste low-level radioactive waste ery Schneider, an Army
to a Michigan landfill from from Lewiston, New York. Corps spokesman.
Ohio while communities in Wayne County Judge Kev- Republic Services, which
suburban Detroit continue in Cox amended his order operates the Michigan
their legal fight to bar waste Tuesday to limit the deci- landfill, said it meets or ex-
from a World War II-era site sion to Lewiston and clear ceeds rules to safely man-
in New York. up any ambiguity. The next age hazardous materials.
The U.S. Army Corps of En- hearings are scheduled for Nothing has been sent yet
gineers has been sending early October. to Michigan from New York.
material from Luckey, Ohio, Wayne Disposal in Van Tainted soil in Lewiston is a
where beryllium, a toxic Buren Township, 25 miles legacy of the Manhattan
metal, was produced for A sign warning of beryllium hangs on a fence at the Luckey (40.23 kilometers) west of Project, the secret govern-
weapons and other uses FUSRAP (Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program) site, Detroit, is one of the few ment project to develop
after World War II. which was designated as such due to beryllium contamination, landfills in the U.S. that can atomic bombs during
The effort stopped last in Luckey, Ohio, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. handle certain hazardous World War II.q
week when a Detroit-area Associated Press waste.