NO JAIL TIME and a $1000 FINE FOR MURDER. From [HERE] and [HERE] A white Louisiana state trooper plead no contest Monday to significantly reduced charges that spare him jail time in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene, the first conviction of any kind in a prolonged police brutality case that once prompted national outrage. 

Kory York had faced the most serious charges of five officers indicted in the case two years ago after body-camera video captured him dragging Greene by his ankle shackles and forcing him to lie cuffed and facedown before he stopped breathing. 

But instead of the original felony charges of negligent homicide and malfeasance, York pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery in exchange for a year of probation and an agreement to testify against the lone officer still facing trial. 

Specifically, the White trooper entered a plea of no contest to eight counts of simple battery Monday in the Union Parish Courthouse. Judge Thomas Rogers accepted the plea. Rogers is white.

York received time served plus one year of supervised probation, $1,000 fine, 160 hours community service plus court costs.

District Attorney John Belton, who is Black, told the judge that family members had originally agreed to the plea agreement but then reversed course after the agreement had been formalized between the two parties. Belton hinted the process may not be over for York, adding, “the federal government has better laws to address this.”

Belton was the first Black district attorney elected in the 3rd Judicial District.

The plea happened despite vehement objections from Greene's family, which said they had been misled about the terms of the deal and robbed of the chance to see the felony charges play out at trial. 

“My family is a victim and we should have more of a say,” said Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, who refused to sign off on the last-minute deal that prosecutors pushed amid fears York would be acquitted in a conservative corner of the state. 

“This shouldn’t end today,” she told the packed courtroom. "It's wrong. It's unfair.” 

The family and supporters of Greene, wearing green T-shirts and filling at least two thirds of the courtroom were not happy with the plea agreement and held back no emotion.

The negligent homicide charge against York was dropped because prosecutors claimed they could not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If a group of Black men beat a white cop to death while he begged for his life, would they have the same limp wristed approach and lack of zeal? Many prosecutors are always so righteously lathered up when they send Black defendants to jail.

According to the civil complaint filed on behalf of Mr. Greene:

On or about 12 a.m. on May 10, 2019, Greene was driving a silver Toyota CH-R on U.S. 80 in Monroe, Louisiana. Trooper Demoss contends that he attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Greene’s car. Trooper Demoss does not define any violation of the motor vehicle code that would justify a stop. Instead, he contends that he observed a “traffic violation”. Greene did not stop his car and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

Greene traveled along US 80 to LA 143 and into Union Parish where his car swerved, spun, and crashed into a wooded area.

The front of Greene’s car did not make impact with a tree and his airbag did not deploy. The highest level of impact sustained by the car occurred in the rear driver side and said impact was moderate.

Greene was able to exit the vehicle without assistance. Green was not injured and could walk, speak and otherwise function in a healthy manner after the crash.

Almost immediately thereafter, Trooper Demoss and Master Trooper Hollingsworth arrived on the scene. Shortly thereafter, Captain Peters, Lieutenant Clary, Sergeant McElroy, Master Trooper York, and Deputy Sherriff Harpin arrived at the scene.

Greene exited his car and began to apologize to the officers, telling them he knew he should have stopped the vehicle earlier. Officers pinned Greene down on the ground while he screamed ‘Oh my God.’”

Greene was moaning, begging the officers to stop, and repeatedly saying “I’m sorry.” Despite Greene’s contrition and surrender, Trooper Demoss, Master Trooper Hollingsworth, Master Trooper York, Captain Peters, Lieutenant Clary, Sergeant McElroy, and Deputy Sherriff Harpin individually and in concert used lethal force against Greene.

Trooper Demoss beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat. Master Trooper Hollingsworth beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat.

Master Trooper York beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat.

Lieutenant Clary beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat. Sergeant McElroy beat, smothered and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat. Captain Peters beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat. Deputy Sherriff Harpin beat, smothered, and choked Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat.

Despite Greene’s contrition and surrender Defendant officers used an electronic control weapon against Greene at least three times thus attacking his heart with massive amounts of electricity. It is currently unknown which officer or officers used electronic control weapon(s) because the Louisiana State Police refused to produce or release bodycam footage, dashboard cam footage, discharge logs, use of force reports or any number of investigative materials that would identify who used lethal force.

Trooper Demoss watched other officers beat, smother, choke, and use an electronic control weapon on Greene despite the fact that he had surrendered, was not resisting, was in custody, and posed no threat.

The force used against Greene was unjustified, unreasonable, excessive, and in violation of Greene’s Fourth Amendment rights.

The force used against Greene left him beaten, bloodied, and in cardiac arrest. An officer called for an ambulance at 12:29 a.m.

When the Emergency Medical Technicians arrived at 12:51 a.m. they found Greene unresponsive. He was propped up against an officer’s leg, covered in blood with multiple “TASER” Barbs penetrating his body.

Emergency Medical Technicians determined that Greene was in cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Greene was placed on a gurney and transported to Glenwood Medical Center. He remained unresponsive when he arrived at 1:25 a.m. Greene was pronounced dead at 1:27 a.m.

An initial report from Glenwood Medical Center listed the principle cause of Greene’s death as cardiac arrest. He was also diagnosed with an “unspecified injury of head.”

Master Trooper Hollingsworth confirmed the vicious and unconstitutional nature of the Officers’ conduct by confessing that he choked and “beat the ever-loving fuck” out of Greene until he was spitting blood and went limp.

Master Trooper Hollingsworth confirmed that this vicious and unconstitutional beating was inflicted by multiple officers and in the presence of multiple officers.

All Defendants immediately began efforts to obfuscate the true nature of the conduct that caused Greene’s death. The following are examples of the Officers’ deceptions:

Greene’s family was told that he had been killed in an auto accident.

Greene’s mother was told that he had been killed immediately after hitting a tree.

The call for Emergency Medical Services omitted any mention that force had been used. The sole police report produced to date does not indicate that force was used.

Inconsistent versions of the Officers’ involvement with Greene were provided to medical treatment providers at Glenwood Hospital.

The sole police report produced to date asserted that Greene was intoxicated prior to any toxicology examinations being conducted.

Greene’s body was sent out of the State of Louisiana to conduct an autopsy, denying the right of the family to have a representative observe same.

Doctor Omokhuale, an emergency room physician at Glenwood confirms the Officers’ deception and stated as follows: “obtaining more history from different law enforcement personal, the account of what happened was disjointed and does not add up. Different versions are present and family did not come to the emergency room. Family states they were told by law enforcement that patient died on impact with tree immediately after motor vehicle accident, but law enforcement state to me that patient out of the car and was running and involved in a fight and struggle where them where he was tased 3 times.” [MORE]