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Five Louisiana officers have been charged in the case of Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old Black man who died after being violently arrested over three years ago.
According to CBS News, officers were charged with state crimes ranging from negligent homicide to malfeasance. The charges come after video showed white state troopers beating, stunning, and dragging Greene as he yelled "I'm scared" during an arrest in 2019.
On May 10 of that year, troopers pursued Greene after he failed to stop for a traffic violation. Police initially told Greene's family that he died after crashing into a tree at the end of the pursuit along a rural roadside in Monroe. An official report by the Union Parish coroner described the motorist's death as a vehicle accident and failed to include his confrontation with police.
For over two years, officials declined to release body camera footage of the incident. It wasn't until the Associated Press unearthed the video in May 2021 that officers were seen repeatedly stunning and punching Greene as he appeared to surrender and plead, "I'm your brother! I'm scared! I'm scared!"
At another point in the video, a state trooper dragged Greene by his ankle shackles. The 49-year-old Black man was left face down in the dirt for over nine minutes before he eventually went limp.
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