State Police brutality expert believes Ronald Greene was tortured, murdered during arrest

A Louisiana State Police use-of-force expert said Tuesday he believes Ronald Greene, a Black motorist, was tortured and murdered by troopers during a violent arrest in Union Parish in 2019.

When Sgt. Scott Davis was asked specifically by Democratic Baton Rouge Rep. Edmond Jordan during a House committee hearing investigating Greene's death if Davis thought it was "torture and murder" he said yes.

Davis was previously the agency's use-of-force expert.

His testimony was preceded by retired Sgt. Albert Paxton, who was the lead investigator on the Greene case and reiterated his belief that top officers in the State Police impeded his investigation of the Greene case and participated in a coverup.

"There was no support for what we wanted to do," said Paxton, who recommended troopers involved in Greene's brutal beating be arrested.

Paxton's former supervisor Lt. Scott Brown corroborated Paxton's account that Lt. John Clary's video on the scene was hidden from investigators and that Clary lied about having body camera video that was later discovered.

"I was so disappointed," Brown said. "I blame myself for maybe not pushing farther. I felt like criminal charges needed to be filed."

Brown also said he was asked to conceal evidence in the case and expressed that to former State Police Col. Kevin Reeves. "We didn't (hide evidence) by the way," he said.

Brown said retired former Troop F Commander John Peters was the person who asked him to conceal evidence.

No trooper has been arrested or charged with a crime, though the incident is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department.

Meanwhile, the chairman of a committee investigating Greene's death said he believes something is "rotten" within the agency and questioned the transparency of the current second in command.

Republican Chairman Tanner Magee of Houma led the committee's third hearing on the possible coverup of the circumstances surrounding Greene's death following a high-speed, two-parish chase that ended after Greene crashed in Union Parish.

"There is something going on in State Police that is rotten," Magee said while addressing Lt. Col. Doug Cain. "I'm hearing you want to be in the sunshine, but I'm seeing you closing the shades."

More: House panel investigating Ronald Greene death may get subpoena power to compel witnesses

Cain, who led the public affairs division during the Greene incident and has since been promoted to the No. 2 position in State Police, was one of 10 witnesses who were called to testify during Tuesday's hearing.

Cain repeatedly said he couldn't comment on an ongoing investigation, which included questions about why he had his cell phone wiped in 2020.

"I can't speak to my cell phone (because of an internal investigation)," said Cain, who noted it was confiscated just this month. "I've been ordered not to speak of it."

Read this: Former State Police Col. Kevin Reeves denies agency coverup in Ronald Greene's death

Reeves, the former State Police leader who retired in Oct. 2020 as the controversy over the Greene case escalated, denied there was an agency coverup when he testified before the committee last week.

"I don't believe there was any coverup by State Police in this matter," Reeves said. "There was no effort to my knowledge to cover up or mislead the public about Ronald Greene."

But members of the committee pushed back Tuesday during Cain's testimony.

"I'm appalled by the lack of answers you're willing to give us today," Democratic Baton Rouge Rep. Denise Marcelle said to Cain.

Jordan accused Cain and Reeves of "a lack of transparency and obstruction."

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: State Police lieutenant was asked to hide evidence in Ronald Greene case