US justice department to investigate Louisiana State Police following 2019 death of Ronald Greene
GuardianNov 26, 2022
The Facts
The DOJ has opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into allegations of excessive force and racism by the Louisiana State Police (LSP), marking the Biden admin.'s fifth such probe.
Assistant AG Kristen Clarke, head of the civil rights division, said the DOJ has found "significant justification" to review policies, training, supervision, and systems of accountability within the LSP.
The Spin
Right narrative
The federal government is overstepping its bounds by meddling in local policing. There were numerous pattern-or-practice investigations in the Obama years, and several cities that wound up signing consent decrees have seen major spikes in violent crime.
Left narrative
It's about time the Feds took a closer look at what's been going on in Louisianna. If the primarily white police department openly admits that two-thirds of cases where excessive force was used victimized Black people, imagine what other wrongdoings this investigation might uncover.
