Mona Hardin, mother of Ronald Greene.
The mother of Ronald Greene made remarks Thursday evening after criminal charges were handed down against five law enforcement officers who were at the scene when her son was beaten and tased by cops before he died in May of 2019. Mona Hardin said she asked Governor John Bel Edwards to join them last night.
“He didn’t care to show up for the whole stretch of time that the special committee wanted to hear from him, it wasn’t important. The murder of my son wasn’t important for him to address to give any of his attention to. I have nothing to say to him because all of his actions speak for itself,” said Hardin.
Hardin has repeatedly called on those responsible for Greene’s death to be held accountable. Legal Analyst Tim Meche said the grand jury failed to charge the officers with murder or even manslaughter. Only one is charged with negligent homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
“If people were responsible for this citizen’s death, they are not being held accountable for a murder or anything that will give them a significant amount of prison time even if they’re convicted,” said Meche.
In addition to criticizing the governor, Hardin also had harsh words for state leaders for allowing state police to continue their behavior and mistreatment of people of color.
“The rogue cops and whoever covers up for them, they’re not worried about it. They continue to laugh in the face of these supervisors, it says a lot what you see. And somebody really needs to step up and clean up,” said Hardin.
State Police Colonel Lamar Davis says Trooper York and Lt. John Clary have been placed on administrative leave and calls their actions as inexcusable.
One of the officers that involved has since died but of the five officers who have been charged four face Malfeasance in Office and three face Obstruction of Justice. Meche feels the charges don’t match the crime.
“The indictment it appears to be more of an indictment against the state police as an institution for covering up evidence, as opposed to the indictment of the murder of a young man,” said Meche.
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