The Louisiana state trooper who accused colleagues of murdering a man in an alleged cover-up said that he was fired from his position.
In June, the ex-trooper, Carl Cavalier, said to WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge that he believed that troopers engaged in an internal cover-up to protect the officers responsible for Ronald Greene’s death.
In May of 2019, Greene was killed after a police chase involving the Louisiana State Police. Greene’s family was first told that the he had died in a car crash, however, dashcam footage that was released this year showed that Greene was in fact beaten and tased by LSP troopers before dying in custody.
In the wake of Greene’s death, two of the troopers were reprimanded by their superiors for not following bodycam procedures, The third officer was set to be terminated for similar reasons in addition to an excessive use of force, performance, and inappropriate conduct for a law enforcement procedure. He died in a car crash before he was able to receive his punishment, LSP Superintendent Col. Lamar Davis said.
“We still have murderers, in my eyes, on the job,” Cavalier said in his TV interview.
Cavalier followed up his first appearance and has made similar criticisms of the department’s handling of the ordeal.
“Trooper Cavalier received the decision of the appointing authority to move forward with termination based on an administrative investigation which revealed he violated several departmental policies,” Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey said Thursday in a statement. “It should be noted that our disciplinary administrative process is not finalized and Cavalier remains an employee at this time.”
In a letter notifying Cavalier of his termination, obtained by CNN, the LSP cites numerous department violations as its justification for his firing including infractions with “Public Statement,” “Lawful Orders,” “Loyalty to the Department,” “Dissemination of Information,” “Seeking Publicity” and “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer.”
Last month, Cavalier filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana State Police, alleging he was the subject of racial discrimination for years.
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