SAY HIS NAME . . .
Mr. Ronald Greene was a resident of Monroe, Louisiana. He was a Black man who worked as a barber and had recently gone into remission after battling cancer for two years. He was on his way to meet his wife in Florida when he died shortly after midnight on May 10, 2019 at age 49
The family of Mr. Greene was not told the truth about what happened by Louisiana State Police. They were told that their son, husband, and friend died from injuries he sustained in a crash after failing to stop for a traffic violation, when in fact his life ended tragically at the hands of Louisiana State Troopers after what can only be described as a brutal murder. His family was denied the truth for nearly two years.
As the body camera footage clearly shows, Ronald Greene surrendered and complied with the officers. His words were not combative. He said he was scared, he apologized, and he complied.
Yet he was stunned, shackled, dragged, punched in the face, choked and ultimately killed by troopers who have yet to be held appropriately accountable for their actions. Even while his body was reported to be limp and unresponsive, he was loaded onto an ambulance gurney with an arm cuffed to the bed rail. It took the Louisiana State Police 474 days to launch an internal investigation and none of the troopers have been fired or charged. We also now know that one of the troopers withheld body camera footage.
Nothing about this is acceptable.
The Urban League of Louisiana, the National Urban League, NAACP Baton Rouge, VOTE, and the ACLU of Louisiana demand that action be taken immediately. It is too late for the actions to be swift – but it is not too late for the officers to be held accountable and for the state of Louisiana to demonstrate that all of its residents are deserving of justice and to be treated with dignity and humanity.
Every trooper present the night of Mr. Greene’s murder is culpable. No one has been held accountable for the murder or the systemic failures that allowed for the coverup.
We, and those who sign this petition call for:
All troopers involved to be immediately terminated. There has been limited discipline against some of the troopers but it is not enough. Every day that any trooper involved in this horrendous incident remains on the job is an injustice to the family and to all residents of Louisiana. All troopers involved must be terminated. |
All troopers to be arrested on charges that are appropriate for the crimes committed. There have been no charges thus far, after two years since Mr. Greene’s murder. The officers involved, named and unnamed, must be arrested immediately. |
DISCLAIMER: The petition is hosted on Change(dot)org. Please note that if you make a donation through this petition it will not go to the Urban League of Louisiana or its partners.
News and Updates
TIMELINE OF URBAN LEAGUE ADVOCACY
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 |
Issuing of joint statement with the NAACP, ACLU of Louisiana, VOTE, Anti-Defamation League South Central Region, and VERA Institute for Justice |
Thursday, May 20, 2021 |
Rep. Ted James (and Urban League Director of Baton Rouge Operations) speaks to CNN |
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 |
National Urban League President Marc Morial and ULLA President & CEO Judy Reese Morse send letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. A meeting is requested to discuss the possibility of an investigation under Section 12601 to determine whether the Louisiana State Police has a pattern or practice of violating the civil rights. |
Thursday, May 27, 2021 |
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Friday, June 4, 2021 |
Launch of Ronald Greene Weekly Update |
Thursday, June 10, 2021 |
Issuing of joint statement with NAACP Baton Rouge and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) South Central Region on how Ronald Greene’s Murder Was Just One Example of a Larger Pattern in Louisiana State Police |
Friday, June 11, 2021 |
Surpassed 10,000 signatures on petition |
Friday, June 25, 2021 |
Issuing of statement on Derek Chauvin Sentencing highlighting how it may impact the Ronald Greene case |
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 |
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Thursday, July 8, 2021 |
Surpassed 20,000 signatures on petition |
Friday, August 4, 2021 |
Statement regarding ongoing federal investigation of Ronald Greene case |
Friday, August 20, 2021 |
Last call for signatures as the total nears 25,000 |
Wed., September 22, 2021 |
Petition sent to decision-makers. Over 27,000 signatures representing 170 countries. |