Former State Police Sergeant Albert Paxton tells state lawmakers he believes L-S-P officials tried to cover up important details surrounding the 2019 State Police custody death of Ronald Greene. Greene died after body camera shows he was beaten and tased by troopers. Paxton points to the bodycam footage of Lt. John Clary which didn’t emerge until nearly two years after the incident
Paxton testified before a House committee that’s trying to determine if there was a coverup involving the death of Greene. The former L-S-P sergeant says an official in the local district attorney’s office told him that Lt. Colonel Doug Cain got mad when he heard about possible charges against Clary for his role in Greene’s death
Legislation to increase penalties for the theft of catalytic converters and the use of a firearm in a carjacking advance from committee. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot, who authored both bills referred to a case in East Baton Rouge where catalytic converters were stolen from 15 school busses.
Businesses that purchase converters, like scrapyards would have to keep a record of who sold them the converters in an effort to discourage the illegal sale of the converters.
And to deter the crime of carjackings Talbot’s Senate Bill 161 will increase penalties when a firearm is involved in the car theft.
The two bills did receive opposition in committee, Attorney Sarah Whittington with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana says the laws are repetitive burdensome to the Department of Corrections.