Louisiana trooper is caught on recording claiming he choked and ‘beat the ever-living f***’ out of a black man before he ‘ just went limp’ - contradicting official police account that the man died in a car wreck following a pursuit

A Louisiana state trooper was heard in newly released audio saying he beat and choked a black man who authorities initially said died of a car wreck after a police chase. 

'I beat the ever-living f*** out of him,' the trooper, identified as Chris Hollingsworth,  said in a 27-second audio clip obtained by The Associated Press.

It is the most direct evidence to emerge yet in the death last year of Ronald Greene, 49, which troopers initially blamed on injuries from a car crash at the end of police pursuit.

The long-simmering case has now become the subject of a federal civil rights investigation and growing calls for authorities to release the full body-cam video. 

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Ronald Greene , of West Monroe, Louisiana, died in May 2019 after getting into a confrontation with Louisiana State Troopers 

Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth is heard on audio recordings saying 'beat the ever-living f*** out of' Greene and choked him before he 'just went limp'

Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth is heard recounting the May 2019 arrest of Greene in rural north Louisiana on audio provided to the AP through an intermediary who asked not to be identified because the case remains under investigation. 

Its veracity was confirmed by two law enforcement officials familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity. State Police did not dispute the tape´s authenticity.

'Choked him and everything else trying to get him under control,' Hollingsworth said, apparently in his part of a phone conversation with an unidentified colleague.

'We finally got him in handcuffs when a third man got there, and the son of a b**** was still fighting him, was still wrestling with him trying to hold him down,' he said.

'He was spitting blood everywhere and all of a sudden he just went limp.' 

'It is shocking that this evidence has been withheld for over a year,' said Lee Merritt, an attorney for Greene´s family. He called on state officials to immediately release the full footage.

Eugene Collins, president of the Baton Rouge branch of the NAACP, called Hollingsworth´s remarks 'disgusting and morally bankrupt' and said the recording raised new questions about the actions of other law enforcement officials familiar with Greene´s death.

'How far did this coverup go?' Collins asked in an interview. 'We are deeply saddened in the actions of State Police and call on the governor to take swift and aggressive action.'

Graphic postmortem photos of Greene's injuries and the silver Toyota drove that night were shared to the NAACP Baton Rouge Facebook page.  

Greene's face was covered in large abrasion sand dark-colored bruises and a visible cut is seen on his head.  

Additionally, the photo of Greene's car does not show any damage or blemishes on the front end, despite law enforcement declaring he died from injuries related to the crash.

GRAPHIC CONTENT - This undated photo provided by the family of Ronald Greene via the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP in September 2020 shows injuries on his body.

Pictured: Greene's vehicle with damage mainly to the rear end, contrasting police accounts that he died from injuries related to a car wreck 

Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, told reporters last week that footage of Green's arrest would be made public at the conclusion of the state and federal investigations.

Hollingsworth, who was white, was the only one of six troopers placed on leave last month following an administrative investigation that State Police did not open until late August.

He died in a single-car crash on September 21 - just hours after he learned he was being fired for his role in the Greene case. 

Even after the trooper´s death, the State Police have refused to comment on Hollingsworth´s use of force or say which policies he was accused of violating in Greene´s arrest. The agency declined to comment due to ongoing investigations.

According to court documents viewed by DailyMail.com, the wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Greene's daughter, who lives in Florida, on Mary 6. 

‘Greene was brutalized by Louisiana State police and Union Parish Deputy Officers which caused his death,’ the lawsuit said.

‘The lethal force used against Greene was unprovoked, unjustified, unreasonable, excessive, and in violation of Greene’s rights under the United States Constitution and the laws of the State of Louisiana.' 

The lawsuit said Greene was driving a silver Toyota on U.S. 80 in Monroe, Louisiana.

Lawsuit: 'Greene was brutalized by Louisiana State police and Union Parish Deputy Officers which caused his death'

One trooper initally contended that he attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Greene's car, but he did 'not define any violation of the motor vehicle code that would justify a stop.'

'Instead he contends that he observed a 'traffic violation.'

A vehicle pursuit continued into Union Parish when Greene's car swerved and crashed into a wooded area, court documents said.

Notably, the lawsuit claims that Greene was able to exit the vehicle without assistance.

'Greene was not injured and could walk, speak and otherwise function in a healthy manner after the crash,' the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit contends that troopers deployed a Taser on Greene three times during the struggle after he exited his car and allegedly apologized to the troopers. 

Court documents said emergency crews arrived to the scene and found Greene unresponsive.

'When the Emergency Medical Technicians arrived at 12:51am they found Greene unresponsive,' the lawsuit said. 

'He was propped up against an officer's leg, covered in blood with multiple 'TASER' Bards penetrating his body.' He was pronounced dead at 1.27am.

The lawsuit filed by Greene's daughter claimed that he was able to walk and 'otherwise function in a healthy manner' after the crash in May 2019

Initially, Greene´s family was told that the he died from injuries suffered in a crash into a 'shrub/tree' at the end of a long car chase near Monroe that began over an unspecified traffic violation.

A State Police crash report obtained by AP omits any reference to troopers using force - or even arresting Greene - but notes that he was not wearing a seat belt in the crash. State Police later acknowledged there was a 'struggle' with troopers who were trying to arrest him.

The lawsuit an initial report from the Gleenwood Medical Center said the main cause of death was cardiac arrest, and he also suffered an 'unspecified injury to the head.'

But Dr. Omokhaule, an emergency room physician at Gleenwood said that, upon obtaining more information about the incident, said law enforcement's explanations didn't 'add up.'

The lawsuit cited a ER  physician that noted the initial account of Greene's death from authorities didn't 'add up' 

'Upon obtaining more history from different law enforcement personnel , history seems to be disjointed and does not add up,' court documents obtained by DailyMail.com said.

'Different versions are present...family states they were told by law enforcement that patient died on impact with immediately after motor vehicle accident, but law enforcement to me that patient out of the car and was running and involved in a fight and struggle where...he was tased 3 times.'

Greene, a barber who had lived for years in central Florida, was not known to be wanted on any charges at the time of the police chase. 

He had a criminal record in Florida that included arrests ranging from theft to drug possession. Court records show he served more than a year in prison following a 2015 conviction for burglary and grand theft.

The State Police crash report does indicate whether alcohol or drug use was involved.