Family of Black motorist killed in 2019 traffic stop reaches $4.8 million settlement with Louisiana officials

By Julia Harte and Kanishka Singh

May 13 (Reuters) – Louisiana officials reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement with the family of Ronald Greene, an unarmed Black motorist who died in May 2019 in an incident of police violence, according to the office of Louisiana’s attorney general and state police.

Officials initially said Greene had died while driving his car, but body-camera footage that was made public in 2021 revealed white officers violently beating Greene in handcuffs after he crashed his car following a high-speed car chase. He was also dragged across the ground by his shackled feet, and stunned with Tasers as he cried, “I’m scared.”

Greene’s death helped fuel a national debate over police brutality, especially against Black men, that eventually led to “Black Lives Matter” protests across the United States and worldwide in 2020.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement to Reuters that the state had agreed to resolve outstanding civil claims because “it was time to end this litigation, which arose under the prior administration, and put this matter behind us.”

The Louisiana State Police were “unable to discuss the terms of the settlement at this time, as the process has not yet been finalized,” said spokesperson Lieutenant Kate Stegall in an email on Wednesday.

An attorney for Greene’s family did not respond to a call or emailed request for comment.

A grand jury indicted five Louisiana law enforcement officers in 2022 on charges ranging from negligent homicide to malfeasance for their roles in Greene’s death, but those charges were later cut.

In January 2025, days before the end of former President Joe Biden’s administration, the Justice Department told Greene’s family that they would not bring federal charges in the case.

That same week, however, the department released a report saying “Greene’s death and its aftermath demonstrated serious failures at LSP — excessive force, improper supervision, ineffective training, and breakdowns in accountability.”

The report acknowledged that police had made some positive changes after Greene’s death, but urged more reforms like improved training, particularly to emphasize less intrusive alternatives before employing force.

(Reporting by Julia Harte and Kanishka SinghEditing by Bill Berkrot and Aurora Ellis)