Gov. John Bel Edwards recently came under question about his knowledge surrounding the death of Ronald Greene. 

Greene died in police custody near Monroe after a high-speed chase. According to KTVE, Louisiana State Police initially stated Greene died due to injuries he suffered that occurred at the end of the police chase. But the coroner’s report showed Greene died due to excessive trauma caused by police. 

Edwards is now involved in an investigation by the Louisiana House of Representatives to discover what he knew about the case, according to CNN. 

An AP News investigation found messages sent from the Louisiana Police Department to Edwards briefly after Greene died in custody. 

According to The Advocate, the governor claims the message he received was part of an emergency messaging system between himself and the state police and involved no details about the case other than the original story the police gave. 

Edwards said he did not know the event’s details until 2020 when he saw the body cam footage. But many are questioning why Edwards has stayed silent on the issue for so long, even after seeing the footage. 

Kara Stanley, a sophomore computer science major, said this case of police brutality is different because they stayed silent to cover it up.  

“This case is different from many others considering how quiet everything has been along with the cover-up as a whole,” Stanley said. “These officers participated in a cover-up to protect themselves, their names and their reputation.” 

Stanley said she is unsure of whether the governor had all the information or not but that a more formal investigation would have occurred if he did. 

This case has been a wake-up call for many in Louisiana about how quickly and efficiently the police can cover up violence. Cases like Greene’s have started a larger conversation of how the community can better protect all its citizens. 

“I’m concerned about my protection and my family’s protection as a whole,” Stanley said. “That’s what I want to change. I’d like better protection for the Black community.”