$4.8 million settlement proposed in Ronald Greene’s fatal traffic stop

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Louisiana officials have reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement with the family of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died during a violent 2019 roadside arrest, according to two people familiar with the agreement. The deal is aimed at ending a federal wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Greene’s family, though it is not final and depends on approval by the Louisiana Legislature.

The settlement would resolve claims tied to Greene’s death, which drew national attention after the Associated Press obtained footage in 2021 showing Louisiana State Police officers using stun guns, punching and kicking Greene, and restraining him as the encounter escalated outside the city of Monroe. Greene’s family had sued in federal court over his death, and the tentative agreement would end that case if approved.

Two people with knowledge of the settlement told AP they were not authorized to discuss the terms publicly, including the timing for lawmakers’ review. Mona Hardin, Greene’s mother, did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday, AP reported.

Louisiana State Police spokesperson Capt. Russell Graham said the agency could not comment on the terms because the settlement process “has not yet been finalized,” AP said. Graham’s remarks came as the family’s lawsuit moved toward resolution through negotiations with state officials.

The case began drawing heightened attention after federal prosecutors declined to bring charges against the troopers involved in Greene’s fatal arrest last year, according to AP. For two years after Greene’s death, the circumstances of the traffic stop following a high-speed chase were not publicly described in detail, with state police initially refusing to release footage and claiming Greene had died after crashing into a tree during the pursuit.

AP said that later video obtained by the outlet showed troopers used stun guns on Greene as he apologized for leading them on the chase. AP reported that officers wrestled Greene to the ground, placed him in a chokehold and punched him, then dragged him facedown while his hands were cuffed and his legs were shackled, leaving him on the ground without providing aid.

AP also reported that troopers had initially sought to pull Greene over for an unspecified traffic violation. In the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration in January 2025, the Justice Department found that Louisiana State Police engaged in a statewide pattern of excessive force during arrests and vehicle pursuits, AP said. Several months later, AP reported, the DOJ under President Donald Trump rescinded those findings.

If lawmakers approve the tentative settlement, it would mark a new outcome in a case that has already been shaped by public scrutiny, federal review, and the release of video evidence that contradicted earlier accounts.