The Case Of Ronald Greene: Questions About Police Integrity

The lies keep tumbling out.  When police notified the family of Ronald Green that the 42-year- old had died in a single-car crash in 2019, they were naturally devastated.  Green had recently been declared in remission from a battle with cancer and was on his way to meet his wife on the night he died.  The agony of his death, however, was compounded over the next two years, as evidence slowly emerged that the police had not been forthcoming about the events on the night of Green’s untimely demise.

Video Tells a Different Story 

A car accident caused his death?  Not even close.  Video evidence shows that troopers pulled Green over and spent a considerable amount of time punching, tasing, and dragging the black man, who had not immediately pulled over after seeing the red and blue lights.  Ultimately, the bloodied and bruised body was taken to the emergency room, where doctors questioned whether his injuries were consistent with a car crash.  Even the car itself had sustained only minimal damage.  An investigation ensued, but not much was coming out of it.  Now, two years later, the feds have decided to get to the bottom of what happened that fateful night.

Questions Abound 

Questions about the specifics of that evening are still weighing on the family.  Why was Green pulled over in the first place?  Why did the troopers become so violent with him, as he begged forgiveness and reminded the troopers that they were all brothers?  Why, after cuffing him and tying Green’s feet, did officers leave him face down and drag him across the ground, and then leave him to lie in the dirt unattended for roughly nine minutes?  What made them think that they could get away with saying they’d simply come upon a crash site?

More broadly, one wonders:  how often do lies and orchestrated stories replace reality in police interactions?  To what extent is misconduct a reality in the world of law enforcement? This incident occurred in the South.  Do similar issues plague citizens across this country?  What about here in Nevada?

Policing on Steroids 

Some may be surprised to learn that someone is arrested in this country every three seconds—totaling 10.5 million arrests every single year. Every one of those arrests has the potential to escalate into a violent, or even deadly incident. Yes, in many instances police are protecting themselves and the community.  But what about when officers are simply out of control?

Here in Nevada, police misconduct seems to have been kept under wraps fairly efficiently.  But a recent newspaper investigation uncovered some startling details about just how wretched the problem is. In one Nevada city, 150 different officers over the course of 20 years continued working despite having 5+ misconduct allegations each.  Some had 10+ sustained allegations. A few specific concerns include:

• One lieutenant currently is employed in Nevada despite 50 allegations of misconduct, including several that have been sustained.
• Another officer—reinstated after having been fired for drunk driving—is working today even though he has a violent criminal record and has sent nude pictures of himself to a colleague.

Dealing with Police Misconduct 

Without question, many officers truly are committed to protecting citizens.  If you’ve had a run-in with one who lacks integrity and is guilty of misconduct, you may feel victimized and alone.  But the passionate and determined Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers at Lobo Law are not naïve and are more than willing to do the legwork and fight for justice on your behalf.  Contact our Las Vegas office for a confidential consultation today.

Resources:

usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2021-05-13/newspaper-looks-at-police-accountability-in-vegas-area-city

cnn.com/2021/05/20/us/ronald-greene-what-we-know/index.html