Louisiana state trooper who went public with brutality allegations has been terminated

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A Louisiana state trooper found out he is being fired around one month after going public with allegations of brutality and racism against his fellow troopers. 

Carl Cavalier, 33, leaked internal State Police records about the death of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died following a 2019 encounter with troopers. Cavalier criticized the agency in a number of interviews. 

State Police leadership initially placed Cavalier on a five-week paid suspension, but this week the State Police fired Cavalier for violating department policy. 

Col. Lamar Davis, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, speaks about the agency’s release of video involving the death of Ronald Greene, at a press conference held Friday, May 21, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. Greene was jolted with stun guns, put in a chokehold and beaten by troopers, and his death is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)
((AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)

“Trooper Cavalier received the decision of the appointing authority to move forward with termination based on an administrative investigation that revealed he violated several departmental policies,” a Louisiana State Police spokesperson told Fox News. “It should be noted that our disciplinary administrative process is not finalized and Cavalier remains an employee at this time.”

“The disciplinary letter with policy violations will be made available when complete,” the spokesperson added. “Cavalier is due a fair and impartial process, and as such, the department cannot provide comment on any pending litigation.”

State Police pulled Greene over an unspecified traffic violation on May 10, 2019, that resulted in a high speed chase. Reports of Greene’s death remained inconsistent, with authorities telling Greene’s family he had died after crashing into a tree while later saying he died on his way to a hospital. 

However, the body-camera video, released in May 2021, showed troopers rushing his vehicle and using a stun gun on him as he raised his hands while inside his vehicle. Troopers then wrestled him and dragged him until Green went limp and died.  

The lack of any action prompted an angry response from Cavalier, who leaked internal State Police files related to the investigation, which prompted the release of the bodycam footage. Louisiana Gov. Bel Edwards described the footage as “disturbing and difficult to watch.” 

Cavalier provided interviews to news outlets in Baton Rouge and New Orleans in which he expressed disappointment that it took leaked body-camera video to the media before any disciplinary action was taken. He continued to press the issue, writing a fictional book – under a pseudonym – that detailed his experience and misgivings as an African-American officer in a sometimes hostile environment, NOLA.com reported.

He also filed a lawsuit on Sept. 30 against the State Police alleging discrimination at the hands of superior officers. 

“After issuing a ticket to a narcotics officer with the Houma Police Department, Petitioner’s supervisors began subjecting all tickets and reports to additional scrutiny,” Cavalier wrote in his petition. “Including, but not limited to, watching body-worn camera video not related to use of force, requesting that incident reports be edited and/or rewritten, receiving harsh criticism over minor issues where other LSP commissioned officers were not reprimanded.”

Cavalier claimed that he was demoted and transferred a number of times in response to an internal grievance he filed about the incident. 

Cavalier’s firing is expected to become effective in 45 days. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

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