Image from video of LSP Lt. John Clary’s body cam at the point of EMS and others preparing to escort Ronald Greene away from the scene. LSP’s belated release of nine (9) videos answers several questions which were previously unknown.
On Friday, May 21, 2021, at 8 p.m., we began a video conference regarding the Ronald Greene videos which features retired 30-year veteran LAPD Sergeant Randy Franklin. Sgt. Franklin provides some very insightful commentary on the actions of Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troop F and, as demonstrated by the previous link as well as this link, he’s got a few battle scars to demonstrate his credibility.
We’re having to pause publishing that feature (but expect it out late Wednesday or early Thursday), however, because, as everyone not living in a cave knows by now, LSP released the totality of videos in its possession entailing Ronald Greene’s arrest. Also, as everyone also knows by now, that release came very late on Friday evening (around 5:30 p.m.) and came about only after AP (and former Advocate) reporter Jim Mustian published leaked video of that arrest.
Many folk have openly pondered why LSP did such an about-face on releasing the videos after the two-year hard-line stand that they would not agree to do so. We believe we can answer that from sources inside LSP who shed light on developments after Mustian’s bombshell publishing of a small segment of LSP Trooper Dakota DeMoss’ body cam video (for which that particular video was 46 minutes). LSP’s “official” reason for releasing the entirety of all nine (9) videos of which they have possession was that they felt the short clip that the AP focused on didn’t provide “the full context” of the arrest.
We received word from one of our most reliable and trustworthy LSP sources which we believe sheds light on LSP’s decision. First, we were told that LSP upper brass was furious over the release of the video, but that’s likely a shock to nobody. Moreover, LSP officials indicated that the release of the video had caused a number of problems for the agency.
Those problems included: #1) the article being republished by outlets across the nation with comments demonstrating sympathy toward the Greene family and expressing anger toward LSP; #2) those comments have specifically named troopers involved in the arrest; #3) posts are demanding “justice for Ronald Greene,”; #4) that the comments in publications across the nation call for: a) the termination of the troopers involved, b) questioning the length of time LSP withheld the video, c) debates entailing Greene still being alive if he’d complied, d) sentiments of sadness, disgust, anger, and a belief that law enforcement is “corrupt,” e) claims of an LSP cover-up.
Our source also indicated that LSP is investigating the identities of those individuals sending threatening emails to LSP and making such threats on LSP’s Facebook page. Our source also indicated that LSP had no knowledge of planned events associated with the release of the video but would continue to monitor the situation.
Hence, it would seem pretty obvious that LSP’s hastily-called news conference of late Friday evening was to make some effort at damage control over the fallout from the publication of the damning segment of DeMoss’ video.
While we commend LSP’s belated spaghetti-against-the-wall release of all of the videos in its possession, which was comprised of nine (9) separate videos, we do not believe the average person is going to sort through all of those videos (particularly since they’re in no particular order and audio is hit or miss and nearly entirely miss in the case of DeMoss’ body camera). As a result, we spent a considerable amount of time over the weekend downloading all nine videos, combining them into one video, and arranging them in an order to be as close to chronological as possible. In doing so, a number of previously-unanswered questions were readily answered, and we’ll outline those immediately after presenting the single 48-minute consolidated and rearranged video we composed over the weekend and uploaded today. That video follows:
Consolidation and reorganizing of nine (9) videos LSP released late Friday, May 21, 2021 entailing the arrest and apprehension of Ronald Greene.
Notations are made of the different sources of the video along with some crystal-clear observations that the video provides in answering previously-unanswered questions.
So, let’s pose answers to some of the previously-unanswered questions which we believe the video above readily reveals:
1. What was the nature of Greene’s traffic infraction?
As evidenced by the body cam video of Lt. Clary, at the 05:42:50 mark (23:00 mark of the above video), Greene is asked, “Why’d you run? All you was doing was speeding a little bit and running a red light.”
2. Did Trooper Chris Hollingsworth turn off his body cam and, if so, for how long?
By looking at the timeframes on the video above, for which the second segment is a combining of Hollingsworth’s body camera videos, Hollingsworth clearly turned off his body cam for a full 45 minutes. His body cam was first turned off, going by the clock in the upper-right corner of the video, 10 minutes before Trooper DeMoss’ arrival on the scene, and it was not turned back on until five (5) minutes after EMS left with Greene’s body.
At that time, Hollingsworth was preoccupied with calling a gentleman by the name of Chris White and informing him of developments. Interestingly, once Hollingsworth does so (including his admission to, “beating the ever-living f— out of him (Greene),” and the revelation that he felt Greene was “dead”), White asks, “Was that captured on body cam?” Two seconds after White’s inquiry, Hollingsworth’s body cam is turned off, and that’s the last we hear or see from Hollingsworth.
Long-time Sound Off Louisiana subscribers will recall that we began our investigation of Greene’s death by seeking any disciplinary evidence that Hollingsworth had turned off his body camera. From the just-linked feature:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 9:46 PM
To: ‘Nick Manale’ <[email protected]>
Cc: ‘Chavez Cammon’ <[email protected]>; ‘Jamie Fletcher’ <[email protected]>; ‘Faye Morrison’ <[email protected]>; ‘Chris Nakamoto’ <[email protected]>
Subject: Brand New Public Records Request
Lt. Manale:
In following up on my earlier re-submitted public records request, let me alter the course a little (though I still want confirmation that Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth’s disciplinary file contains no more than the three pages I have been supplied already).
Some people enjoy tap dancing, and some don’t. I’m not a tap dancer. Accordingly, let me focus in with laser-like precision on what I’m seeking in the hope this brand new public records request may bear more fruit and advance this process a little.
I seek any and all documentation pertaining to any investigation of any of the following LSP Troopers entailing any body cam video being turned off during the arrest and apprehension of Ronald Greene on or around May 10, 2019:
- TROOPER DAKOTA DEMOSS,
- MASTER TROOPER CHRIS HOLLINGSWORTH,
- MASTER TROOPER KORY YORK,
- SERGEANT FLOYD MCELROY,
- LIEUTENANT JOHN CLARY, and
- CAPTAIN JOHN PETERS
Days after our request, then-Col. Kevin Reeves apparently decided the gig was up and issued Hollingsworth a letter of intent to terminate, hours after which Hollingsworth died in a one-vehicle accident which many individuals have indicated was a suicide notwithstanding the fact that the coroner’s office officially classified his death as an accident.
3. Did Ronald Greene die on the scene and, if so, at what point?
From our viewing of the videos and as reflected on the consolidated video above, Greene appeared dead approximately 19 minutes after LSP Trooper Dakota DeMoss arrived on the scene (DeMoss arrives at 05:28 on the bodycam video, and it is sufficiently apparent to us that Greene was dead at the 05:47 mark of the video that we’re willing to state that, in our opinion, he was in fact dead at that point).
Greene was transported away from the scene at the 05:58 mark, and Hollingsworth began to prepare his recap to White at the 06:03 mark.
Commentary by both Hollingsworth and on Lt. Clary’s bodycam all-but indicates they were aware he was dead before he ever departed for the hospital. Lt. Clary’s body cam video, which today (May 24, 2021), AP Reporter Jim Mustian reports was withheld by Clary until about three weeks ago, clearly has audio in which the suspect’s condition is assessed as “not good” (stated at the 06:05:46 mark on Clary’s body cam). The person making the assessment is then asked, “What do you mean, ‘not good?'” The response is, “Like, maybe 10-7 (police code for ‘completely out of service’).”
4. Was Troop F Captain John Peters on the scene?
Immediately prior to the 10-7 assessment on Lt. Clary’s body cam video, it is stated that Captain Peters had been “called” and apprised of the matter. Hence, while he was apparently not on the scene (at least not during the critical timeframe where all the activity transpired), he clearly aided and abetted the very obvious cover-up which ensued from the moment everyone was leaving the scene.
Those are some answers to questions which we think are readily available from the videos LSP released late Friday though, as we indicated, they become more evident by combining and rearranging the videos. This is a video blog though, so we enjoy doing that sort of work even though it can become quite tedious as it certainly was in this particular case.
Let us conclude this feature by expressing appreciation to fellow blogger Walter Abbott, who resides in Lincoln Parish where all of these activities went down.
Through his heads up, we are able to update our feature on the Greene family’s efforts to substitute Darby Hollingsworth, Chris’ widow, for him in the wrongful death Federal suit. On May 7, 2021, the Court issued this order after Hollingsworth agreed to waive a hearing and admit that she is the proper party to be substituted for her deceased husband. From that order:
IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff’s First Amended Motion for Substitution [doc. # 68] is GRANTED, and that Darby Hollingsworth, in her capacity as tutor/tutrix of the minor, G.H., is substituted in lieu of deceased Defendant, Chris Hollingsworth, reserving her right to assert “any and all claims, actions, and defenses which would have been available to Chris Hollingsworth.”
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff is granted leave to file an amended complaint by May 21, 2021, that substitutes Darby Hollingsworth, in her capacity as tutor/tutrix of the minor, G.H., in lieu of deceased Defendant, Chris Hollingsworth.
As indicated on Abbott’s blog, the amended lawsuit was filed on May 20, 2021. Abbott was also kind enough to provide us with this call sheet report of the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office. We, in turn, supplied that document to retired LAPD Sergeant Franklin referenced above. In our next feature which, again, we expect to have published by late Wednesday or early Thursday, Franklin will have some very interesting commentary about the document and about this whole incident, and we KNOW that is a feature that you ARE NOT going to want to miss!
We appreciate all of our subscribers’ and casual visitors’ dedication to this blog and the kind words that so many folk (including many LSP troopers) have stated to us regarding our LSP coverage. They keep us inspired during what can often times be a labor-intensive effort often riddled with frustration!
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The tragedy of this story and the coverup by the Louisiana State Police Troop F, it was not done in a vacuum and had to be allowed at the highest levels of the State Police (Col. Reeves) and the Governor(John Bel Edwards). In the chain of command was a black Lt. Col. (J.D. Oliphant). It should be noted that Oliphant was twice promoted by Col. Kevin Reeves in a short period of time. Lt. Col. Oliphant’s chain of command apparently included, Kaleb Reeves, Chris Hollingsworth, Kory York, Jacob Brown, Dakota DeMoss, Michael Satcher and the list goes on. Oliphant should have been the loudest voice in the room ! Depositions exist that will expose additional coverups by the Louisiana State Police. These criminal acts have to be covered up at every step in the chain of command.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”