LSP whistleblower fired for exposing ‘toxic brotherhood’
25th October 2021 · 0 Comments
Louisiana State Trooper Carl Cavalier, a Black man, will be out of a job in less than 45 days for exposing what he called a “toxic brotherhood” and a “cover-up” of the 2019 “murder” of Ronald Greene, a Black man, who died while in the custody of several Louisiana State Troopers.
Cavalier, 33, is a hero to us but a thorn in the side of the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Department.
Cavalier, who spent seven years on the job in the LSP’s narcotics division in Baton Rouge, is accused of leaking internal records that show the role Louisiana State Troopers played in the 2019 death of Greene, 49.
An Associated Press investigation published a video showing Greene tased excessively, beaten while handcuffed, and dragged by his ankles while lying face down on the ground. In the video, Greene says, “I’m sorry and I’m scared.”
The Louisiana Weekly took a deep dive into numerous media appearances by Cavalier, who broke department policies by going public with his concerns. In an interview on WWL-TV, the whistleblower called what happened to Greene “murder.”
Cavalier told WBRZ in late June: “We still have murderers, in my eyes, on the job. Guys who received a slap on the wrist for their roles in the Ronald Greene incident are unpunished… patrolling the streets and left on the job.”
Lt. John Clary, the highest-ranking officer among at least six state troopers at the scene of Greene’s May 10, 2019, arrest, told investigators he had no camera footage of the incident. But The Associated Press’ release of his 30-minute body camera video proved that Clary lied.
While Cavalier is losing his career, Clary, the senior trooper at the scene when Green died, remains on the job.
We’ve seen this before: The fox is in charge of watching the hen house. The Louisiana State Police conducted an internal investigation that yielded no discipline for five of the six troopers on the scene, except for Trooper Hollingsworth, who bragged about beating the “f… “ out of Greene. Hollingsworth died in a single-car crash the day he learned of his termination.
Who thinks the police can police themselves, let alone cross that thin blue line? Cavalier spoke about the toxic brotherhood culture in the Department on WBOK radio, a station owned by Black men.
Here’s the kicker, though. While he admits that what happened to Greene was “excess brutality,” we are deeply disgusted by Louisiana’s Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards’ mealy-mouthed downplaying of the cover-up of Greene’s murder by state troopers. Edwards called the cover-up allegations “overblown or just false” in a radio interview.
Really?
The man that Black people put in the governor’s mansion is covering up for state troopers who dishonor the badge in damaging the credibility of Cavalier, whose public reports laid bare the truth about a law enforcement department that has been racist and rotten to the core for decades?
State Representative Ted James, chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC), was disappointed by Edwards’ downplaying of the cover-up. ‘Ray Charles could see this was a cover-up,’ he told the AP.
Consider these facts reported about the alleged cover-up:
1. Lt. Clary lied about the existence of body cam footage.
2. The troopers’ initial lie was that Greene died when his car crashed into a tree.
3. It took 474 days for state police to launch an internal inquiry, and officials from Gov. John Bel Edwards on down refused to release body camera video for more than two years.
4. Master Trooper Hollingsworth (who died in the single-car crash) turned off his dash-cam and body cam before the high-speed chase of Greene ensued.
5. Forensic pathologists said the lack of supporting materials left them unable to determine whether the alleged crash or excessive police force caused Greene’s most severe injuries.
6. No trooper got arrested or indicted for Greene’s murder.
7. According to The Associated Press, the head of the state police, Col. Lamar Davis, and his chief of staff, Lt. Col. Doug Cain, tried to dissuade state prosecutors from charging troopers in the Greene case. Colonel Davis denied the allegation.
The Louisiana Weekly has not independently confirmed these reports. However, those who doubt the existence of a cover-up should look at the video.
Most puzzling in this whole sordid affair is the lack of transparency from Colonel Lamar A. Davis. Davis took over the agency on October 30, 2020, after the department’s top brass retired when the death of George Floyd led to scrutiny of cases of other unarmed Black people who died in police custody.
Davis is a well-educated, intelligent, trained officer with more than 25 years in law enforcement and numerous commendations and awards. He joined the LSP in 1998. One can only wonder if Davis, who is Black, experienced the rampant racism Cavalier experienced from white colleagues but sucked it up and became the head man.
Was Davis’s holding of the thin blue line worth it, though? Cavalier’s media interviews have spotlighted Davis, who must explain why he hasn’t arrested the troopers involved in Greene’s death.
His firing of Cavalier for speaking the truth about Greene’s murder is incomprehensible. Cavalier was terminated for violating departmental policies, including loyalty, publicly discussing an ongoing investigation, and seeking publicity.
Grievances that carry much more weight than brutalizing citizens that troopers take an oath to protect and serve, obviously.
The LLBC, ACLU, NAACP, Urban League, and others have called for the FBI and DOJ to investigate the Louisiana State Police. For his part, Davis believes he has put strong police reform measures in place and sees no reason for the FBI and DOJ to launch a pattern and practice investigation.
Someone, please ask Davis where he was when his fellow troopers were killing Black and brown citizens? What makes him think it’s ok to sweep the agency’s past wrongdoing under the rug? A pattern and practice investigation will show that this has been going on for decades. Holding cops accountable is an absolute necessity.
Cavalier is fighting to keep his job. He filed suit against the LSP for retaliation, harassment, and discrimination. He exposed the wrongdoing at his agency because what happened to Greene can happen to him, and he wants the LSP to do the right thing.
We can all learn from Cavalier’s courage and integrity. He came forward so he could sleep at night. Yet, his truth telling underscores the urgent need for police reform across the U.S.
We all should follow his lead. Silence allows violence. If we see something, we must say something.
This article originally published in the October 25, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
