Text messages show John Bel Edwards was aware Ronald Greene died after struggle w/LSP

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BATON ROUGE, La. (WVUE) - Text messages obtained by The Associated Press show Louisiana’s governor was informed within hours of the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene that troopers engaged in “a violent, lengthy struggle” that ended with the Black motorist’s death.

Yet Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards remained publicly quiet as police clung to a much different story: that Greene died from a crash following a high-speed chase. What the governor knew and when have become questions in the federal investigation of Greene’s death.

The governor’s spokesperson says he’s not under investigation and that he’s been tight-lipped to avoid impeding the probe.

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Edwards received word of the Greene case in a text from then-Louisiana State Police Superintendent Kevin Reeves on May 10, 2019 at 10 a.m., about nine hours after the deadly arrest.

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The explanation given to Edwards, which his spokesperson called a “standard notification,” was far different from what Greene’s family says they were being told by troopers at almost the same time -- that the 49-year-old died on impact in a car crash at the end of a chase. A coroner’s report that day indicates Greene was killed in a motor vehicle accident and a state police crash report makes no mention of troopers using force.

Reeves ended his text by telling the governor that the man’s death was under investigation.

“Thank you,” Edwards responded.

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