Louisiana Voice

low-hanging fruit

noun

low-hang·​ing fruit ˈlō-ˈhaŋ-iŋ- 

1. the obvious or easy things that can be most readily done or dealt with in achieving success or making progress toward an objective
2. That which is especially easy to obtain or achieve. Often implies something that is perhaps not as satisfying as that which takes more effort or skill to obtain or do.

Okay, that was too easy. But even as international publications like THE GUARDIAN are splashing stories across its pages about the indictments of four state troopers and a deputy sheriff for the death of motorist Ronald Greene 3½ years ago in Union Parish, some of us continue to wonder why the net didn’t snare a few of the Louisiana State Police (LSP) higher-ups.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Greene was beaten and tased to death in May 2019 following a police chase by state troopers in Ouachita and Union Parishes. After he became unresponsive, he was pronounced dead and state police, in what has become a disturbing version of transparency on their part, told the family he had died in a crash.

That was a lie, pure and simple, as body cam footage that remained concealed by LSP for more than two years later, much too long later, revealed. True, Greene was involved in a collision with a tree that terminated the chase, but the damage to his vehicle was minimal and the body cam footage revealed in graphic, tragic detail that Greene was very much alive as he begged for his life while shackled as troopers and a Union Parish deputy sheriff taunted him in between tasings, kicks and punches.

But the indictments by a Union Parish grand jury were limited to the four troopers and the Union Parish deputy. Untouched thus far were members of the State Police command who were clearly complicit in the attempt to keep the incriminating video under wraps. To a lesser degree perhaps, Gov. John Bel Edwards must also share the burden, for contrary to his claims otherwise, it appears that he was made aware of the circumstances of Greene’s death only hours after the fact, yet helped keep the lid on the powder keg by maintaining his silence during what was at the time a tight reelection campaign.

If former LSP hierarchy are to be held to account, that task will fall to East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore.

That’s with emphasis on former hierarchy because one-by-one, they have exited, choosing retirement over accountability. The dominoes began falling when Lt. Col. MIKE NOEL, named by Edwards as his choice to succeed Ronnie Jones as the new chairman of the State Gaming Control Board, suddenly withdrew from consideration and announced his retirement rather than answer questions about Greene’s death that he knew would be forthcoming in a Senate confirmation hearing. Others followed, including then-State Police Commander Col. Kevin Reeves, and his second in command, Doug Cain.

There were other retirements within the higher ranks of State Police and some of those included the incorruptible — like Sgt. ALBERT PAXTON, a detective who chose retirement over submitting to demands from above to back off on his investigation of Greene’s death.

Former prominent New Orleans attorney ASHTON O’DWHER knows a thing or two about cover-ups and slip-shod investigations, having been subjected to unprovoked torture by State Police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina only to see nothing done to the perpetrators. In his understandable anger that continues to fester 17 years later, O’Dwyer insists that LSP remains a “racketeering enterprise.”

And finally, it’s rare that I agree with right-wing columnist and political science associate professor Jeff Sadow, but he made a recent observation that, unfortunately, has a disturbing ring of truth to it.

Sadow said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that the most obvious purpose of the special legislative committee formed to investigate Greene’s death was to advance the political careers of the committee members.

I’m afraid the committee’s less-than-inspiring performance proves Sadow’s assessment to be sadly accurate.