The grave injustices heaped upon New Orleans attorney ASHTON O’DWYER by Louisiana State Police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the legal obstacles thrown in his path since then have been documented by LouisianaVoice and columnist JAMES GILL.
So, it’s understandable that O’Dwyer took issue with my claim that LSP legal counsel Fay Morrison was being served up as a sacrificial lamb by LSP in an effort at damage control in the Ronald Greene matter.
O’Dwyer’s protestations notwithstanding, LouisianaVoice said then that Morrison was being made a SCAPEGOAT in an effort to protect higher-ups in the LSP food chain who were responsible for the actual decision to conceal details of the beating death of Greene at the hands of LSP troopers from Troop F out of Monroe.
Coincidentally, it was Troop F personnel who physically abused O’Dwyer while he was being held prisoner for the horrendous act of refusing to leave his home during Hurricane Katrina despite the indisputable fact that his home was safe and that he provided accommodations for news reporters covering the hurricane.
Now, thanks to the diligence of Baton Rouge television reporter CHRIS NAKAMOTO who just won’t let the story of Greene’s death go away, and to the dogged investigation of LSP detective Albert Paxton, we learn that the second-in-command at LSP indeed played a major role in the cover-up and even received a promotion just as details of Greene’s death were becoming public – a year-and-a-half after the fact.
Doug Cain was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel upon the sudden retirement of LSP Superintendent Kevin Reeves who, ironically, previously served in Troop F.
But there is a twist in the plot previously not known: Cain harbored ambitions to move into Reeves’s slot and was even jockeying for the position only to be denied when Lamar Davis was appointed to the position.
Cain confided during a conversation with LouisianaVoice that he had aspirations to be named superintendent. During speculation about who would succeed Reeves, Cain, in an unguarded moment, said, “I would hope to be considered. I’d like to be superintendent one day.”
At the time of that exchange, we were speculating on who would succeed Reeves, who had just stepped down as the Greene investigation was just picking up steam.
Greene, a black man, was involved in a two-parish chase with State Police. The chase ended when Greene hit a tree, causing minor damage to his vehicle. Police indicated to Greene’s family that Greene had died in the collision, which was a lie. Greene was very much alive and pleading with officers as eventually proven by police body cam evidence that remained hidden for 16 months even as State Police denied the existence of any video of the incident.
LSP investigator Paxton, who is assigned to Troop F, has testified that he was blocked in his investigation by LSP administrators who wanted the matter to go away. Apparently, Cain was in the mix. Paxton’s notes say that Cain “blew off” his efforts and indicated to others at LSP that he didn’t trust Paxton.
Paxton’s notes further say that both he and Scott Brown wanted Trooper Chris Hollingsworth arrested a week after Greene died, but that that didn’t happen. It was more than a year before the case came to the public’s attention and Hollingsworth subsequently died in a single-vehicle accident only hours after he was finally terminated by State Police.
Paxton also communicated with Cain on Dec. 23, 2020, about his concerns over Trooper Kory York’s committing battery on Greene but his notes say that Cain told him, “York has already been punished and we are not going back.”
Paxton recently testified that he was issued a letter of reprimand for unauthorized dissemination of information for sending emails of his reports to his wife to proofread. Paxton said that had been a practice of his for 14 years with approval from his supervisor.
So, in effect, LSP gives tacit approval of actions so long as they do not cast the agency in a bad light but when the light is shone on misdeeds and malfeasance, it becomes grounds for disciplinary action. In terms easier to comprehend, the official policy is “kill the messenger.”
In seven-plus years of Louisianavoice’s coverage of Louisiana State Police, it has become obvious that it has become a runaway agency populated with rogue officers supported by administrators who were, at best, indifferent and/or incompetent or, at worst, corrupt.
And for now, at least, it would appear that, thanks to Paxton’s report and Nakamoto’s tenacity, at least one career track, Doug Cain’s ambition to lead LSP, has been derailed.
Louisiana Voice 
I’m curious to know how Doug Cain is going to handle this complaint below.
https://www.soundoffla.com/state-police-trooper-scott-lopez-allegedly-tells-billy-broussards-driver-you-better-not-drive-down-my-road-again/
Billy, if I’m not mistaken, a public road can’t belong to anyone, even a state trooper…(duh.) I always thought Broussard was in Lafayette Parish (I covered parish government back in the Stone Age when it was known as the Police Jury!) Maybe it’s grown into St. Martin?
The root of the problem is the culture of LSP. It starts with indoctrination in the state police academy. Troopers are convinced they are the best in Louisiana law enforcement and thus immune to the rules others must follow. The number one principle at LSP is what’s best for LSP. The only reason we still have motor vehicle inspections in La. is LSP covets the money. La. one of the few states that requires troopers–and troopers only–to escort oversized loads at exorbitant hourly rates. Many troopers making over $100,000 with unbelievable overtime hours. Rarely is this overtime related to making our highways safer. If Tom Aswell were to write about all the corruption in LSP in just the past 10 years, he’d couldn’t cover it in a book–it would have to be a series!
Wil, your comment about the inspection stickers hit the nail on the head. One morning in a legislative committee meeting, then superintendent Edmonson, said something to that effect. He indicated that the legislature could repeal the inspection sticker provisions provided they could find another stream of revenue to replace it.
All of the above comments are not conducive to the resolution of any perceived problem. Tom’s column is productive. The comments are a good example of communicating with a fact and reaching a goofy conclusion. ron thompson
Sorry Mr. Ron Thompson attached is the correct link.
https://www.soundoffla.com/farmer-billy-broussard-follows-state-police-col-davis-admonition-files-ia-complaint-against-trooper-scott-lopez-alleging-coordination-with-smpg-president-cedars-to-illegally-shut-my-farming-oper/
Back when I was in state government people would often say its institutional culture was so embedded, the only way to fix the administration of the Department of Transportation and Development was to close it down entirely and start over from scratch. This was also sometimes said about the Department of Education. I find myself wondering how many other administrative agencies and departments might benefit from such a thing and if the Department of Public Safety and Corrections administration might be one of them.
Can you refresh my memory, Stephen? Was it under Roemer when we conducted the “streamlining” hearings? You remember, those hearings on each department in the executive branch. The hearings were suppose to recommend various “streamlining” measures.
Yep. The Roemer administration tried almost everything to make state government more effective and efficient. Many other attempts before and after Roemer, including R. S. 24:103, first enacted in 2009, creating the Louisiana Commission on Streamlining Government – a good piece of legislation that, like all other such efforts never really accomplished anything, despite high-minded goals.
It is quite clear to any observer that government does not really want to be accountable, nor is it forced to be – and we are all paying for it and will be in the future. Most people are fed up with it. Some are so fed up they even stormed the U. S. Capitol in protest as if we were some 3rd world country in which a coup was possible. What has changed for the better as a result of any of these efforts, from those with lofty goals all the way through those which would result in utter destruction of our democracy if carried out? Is government more responsive even after being under actual attack? Do we all feel better about how we are governed now that we have an actual presidential president rather than an unashamed, embarrassing narcissist who encouraged division rather than unity? Do our elected and appointed officials serve us or themselves? I realize these are all trite questions everybody would just as soon ignore – as we often do unpleasant things like our own history, but we do so at our own peril and a chunk of us don’t even have sense enough to realize it. Am I a cynic or a realist?
Both, Mr. Winham. and for me, I will keep learning and loving. Now I will go feed my animals and then read Mr Broussard’s reference.
[…] we do know that Doug Cain, promoted to lieutenant colonel soon after Reeves retired, attempted to SHUT DOWN the INVESTIGATION into Greene’s […]
[…] we do know that Doug Cain, promoted to lieutenant colonel soon after Reeves retired, attempted to SHUT DOWN the INVESTIGATION into Greene’s […]