A tentative $4.8 million settlement has been reached with the family of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died after a violent 2019 arrest by Louisiana State Police, two people with knowledge of the agreement told the Associated Press.
The deal would end a federal wrongful death lawsuit — but for Greene’s family, the road to even this moment has been long, painful, and full of cover-ups.
What Happened on That Louisiana Road in 2019
Greene, 49, was pulled over for an unspecified traffic violation following a high-speed chase outside Monroe, Louisiana.
What happened next was hidden from the public for two years.
State police initially claimed Greene died after crashing into a tree during the pursuit. They refused to release any footage.
When the AP obtained and published video in 2021, the truth was impossible to ignore.
The footage showed five white troopers using stun guns on Greene as he apologized for leading them on the chase. Officers wrestled him to the ground, placed him in a chokehold, and punched him repeatedly.
Greene was then dragged facedown along the ground — hands cuffed, legs shackled — and left lying there without medical aid.
He was unarmed.
No Criminal Charges. A Settlement Instead.
Last year, federal prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against any of the troopers involved in Greene’s fatal arrest.
The $4.8 million settlement is now the legal conclusion to the case — though it still requires approval from the Louisiana Legislature before it is finalized.
Louisiana State Police spokesperson Capt. Russell Graham told the AP the agency could not comment because the process “has not yet been finalized.”
Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin, did not respond to requests for comment.
A Wider Pattern of Excessive Force
Greene’s case was not an isolated incident.
In the final days of the Biden administration in January 2025, the Justice Department found that Louisiana State Police had engaged in a statewide pattern of excessive force during arrests and vehicle pursuits.
That finding was later rescinded by the DOJ under President Donald Trump.
The federal investigation itself was launched in 2022 — triggered in part by a series of AP investigations exposing brutal beatings carried out by troopers across the state.
Why This Case Still Matters
Greene’s death became a flashpoint in the national conversation about police accountability, use of force, and the treatment of Black Americans during traffic stops.
The fact that it took two years for the public to even see what happened — and that no officer faced criminal charges — has kept this case at the center of debates about transparency and justice in law enforcement.
For Greene’s family, $4.8 million does not bring him back.
But it is, for now, the closest thing to accountability the system has offered.
What do you think — is a financial settlement enough when no criminal charges were filed? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
