A former Louisiana state trooper won't face jail time following the deadly arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene.
According to KNOE, ex-state trooper Kory York pleaded no contest to eight counts of simple battery in connection to the May 2019 death of Greene. York was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, 160 hours of community service, and one year of supervised probation.
York agreed to a plea deal after he was initially charged with negligent homicide and malfeasance in office. Prosecutors dropped the most serious charge of negligent homicide in September 2024 despite a grand jury previously indicting York on the charge.
At the time the negligent homicide charge was dropped, Union Parish District Attorney John Belton said in a statement that the evidence “does not meet the ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ standard necessary to secure a conviction at trial.”
The no-contest plea comes after troopers attempted to pull Greene over in May 2019 but were led into a chase that ended in Union Parish. Authorities initially blamed Greene's death on a car crash, but body-camera footage uncovered from an AP investigation showed officers beating, tasing, and dragging Greene on the ground.
Five officers, including York, were indicted by a grand jury in connection to Greene's death. York was initially suspended without pay from the department but was later allowed to retire.
York's no-contest plea means his conviction can't be used in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Greene's family.
“This is clearly a victory for Kory York,” his attorney Mike Small said. “It’s not an admission of guilt.”
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