A former Louisiana state trooper charged in the 2019 beating death of Black motorist Ronald Greene walked free Monday after striking a deal with Union Parish prosecutors before his trial began.
Kory York, who initially faced the most serious felony charges among the group of five white officers involved in Greene’s death, entered a no contest plea to eight counts of simple battery — a misdemeanor — and received a six-month suspended sentence, a $1,000 fine and 160 hours of community service, according to court records.
York’s trial was set to begin Monday morning. The suspended sentence allows him to serve no jail time, though he will be placed on supervised probation for a year.
York previously faced 10 counts of malfeasance in office and one count of negligent homicide, but District Attorney John Belton dropped most of those charges. Belton could not be reached for comment Monday.
York was among five law enforcement officers a grand jury indicted nearly two years ago in Greene’s death and the cover-up that followed.
Police body camera footage shows the officers kicked, dragged, beat and shocked Greene with stun guns following a vehicle pursuit in May 2019. He died while handcuffed and shackled on the side of a road, yet troopers allegedly told Greene’s family his death was the result of a crash that ended the police chase. They also allegedly withheld some of the footage from the comprehensive investigative file submitted to Belton’s office.
However, from the beginning, Belton’s office struggled in its prosecution of the case against York and the other defendants — almost all of whom have had their charges dropped.
York was allowed to retire from Louisiana State Police in August.
The only remaining case is against Chris Harpin, a Union Parish Sheriff’s deputy who faces charges of malfeasance in office.