Family of Ronald Greene reaches tentative $4.8M settlement with Louisiana State Police
: Louisiana State trooper police car parked on street (ablokhin/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Officials in Louisiana reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement on Tuesday evening with the family of Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old Black motorist who died on May 10, 2019, after an encounter with Louisiana State Police, where he was beaten and shocked with stun guns following a high-speed vehicle chase.
A spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday morning that a settlement, which was first reported by the Associated Press, has been reached over Greene’s death, but said that the terms cannot be discussed since the negotiations are ongoing.
“LSP is unable to discuss the terms of the settlement at this time, as the process has not yet been finalized,” LSP Public Affairs spokesperson Lt. Kate Stegall said.
Greene was pursued by police after failing to stop for an unspecified traffic violation, leading to a car chase near Monroe, Louisiana. Greene’s mother Mona Hardin said that authorities initially told the family that Greene died when his car crashed into a tree, but body camera footage released amid public pressure nearly two years after his death showed his violent encounter with police.
The settlement would resolve a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed in May 2020 by Greene’s family against the Louisiana State Police.
According to Louisiana state law, the settlement would need final approval from the state legislature before it is finalized.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head. (U.S. Attorneys Office/District of Hawaii)
(MAUI, Hawaii) — A tourist on vacation in Maui has been arrested and charged for allegedly throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, has been charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii.
Lytvynchuk was filmed walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui on May 5, tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as Lani, as she pushed a floating log close to the shoreline, according to prosecutors.
Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock and threw it directly at Lani’s head, prosecutors said. The rock narrowly missed Lani’s nose, causing her to rear up out of the water, according to prosecutors.
Witnesses told investigators the rock was “the size of a coconut,” according to court documents.
Another witness told investigators the seal “clearly seemed hurt,” but Lytvynchuk did not check on the welfare of the animal before walking away, according to court documents.
Witnesses confronted Lytvynchuk, informing him they had contacted law enforcement. Lytvynchuk allegedly responded that he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” before walking away, prosecutors said.
Witnesses reported that Lani remained “largely immobile for an extended period of time after the incident,” causing concern over her welfare, according to prosecutors.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani,” U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement.
If sentenced, Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge and supervised release, prosecutors said.
Lytvynchuk was arrested on Wednesday and is currently in custody. He is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing on Thursday.
Court records do not list an attorney for Lytvynchuk.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 2026, in Washington, DC. Trump announced an extension of Biden-era EPA deadlines for the phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule, claiming that phasing out deadlines and exempting road refrigeration equipment would lower grocery prices. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(ESCONDIDO, Calif.) — A 69-year-old Southern California man known for the display of American flags and Make America Great Again memorabilia he kept in his front yard has died, days after being attacked and beaten outside his home, authorities said.
Kerry George Sheron, whose family members said was an Army veteran and a supporter of President Donald Trump, was assaulted last week outside his Escondido residence that locals dubbed the “Trump House.”
Sheron was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday, according to a statement from the Escondido Police Department.
Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, of Escondido and served in the Navy was arrested in connection with the incident, police said.
Police have yet to comment on a possible motive.
According to military service records provided by the Navy to ABC News, Butler enlisted in the Navy in December 2011. He served as an information systems technician and was discharged in January 2023, records show.
Butler was being held without bail on Wednesday at the San Diego County Jail, where he was booked on May 21, on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse, making criminal threats and battery, according to online jail records.
“The case is in the process of being presented to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, which is reviewing the circumstances to determine whether charges will be amended,” police said.
The cause and manner of Sheron’s death are pending an autopsy by the San Diego County Medical Examiner.
In a GoFundMe campaign that as of Wednesday afternoon has raised more than $40,500 to cover Sheron’s funeral expenses, family members called the incident that claimed Sheron’s life “brutal and unprovoked.”
Sheron’s wife, Maria Garcia, told ABC San Diego affiliate station KGTV that she wants her husband to be remembered as a man of service and faith.
“I want to remember my husband, you know, how he was [a] very good man, you know, [his] service in the church, service in the army,” said Garcia, who called her husband “my hero.”
Jim Gillie, one of Sheron’s friends, told KGTV that Sheron’s front-yard MAGA decorations had been targeted in the past.
“Back in March, people came through with razor blades and cut up a bunch of Kerry’s flags,” Gillie said. “Kerry was used to it because he’d come out here with his Trump signs and stuff during the week and flags, and people would drive by and honk and wave, and most of the people are good, but when someone would flip him off, he’d just look at me and say, they have their right to freedom of speech, too.”
Escondido police said the incident with Sheron unfolded around 2:14 p.m. on May 20, when officers were called to Sheron’s home to investigate a report that an assault had just occurred.
“Upon arrival, officers located an elderly male suffering from significant injuries,” police said in a statement. “A bystander who intervened during the incident was also injured. Officers learned the suspect had fled the area on foot prior to their arrival.”
Sheron was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.
Officers immediately searched Sheron’s neighborhood and located Butler, who matched the description of the person witnesses said attacked Sheron, according to the statement.
Tanya Sierra, a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, told ABC News on Wednesday that an announcement on whether to amend the charges against Butler is expected to be made at the suspect’s next court date on June 3.
In an aerial view Salvadorian armed forces stand guard outside CECOT (Counter Terrorism Confinement Center) where thousands of accused gang members are imprisoned on December 15, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. John Moore/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of the Venezuelan migrants who were were deported to El Salvador’s CECOT prison last year in violation of a court order.
Boasberg on Thursday criticized the administration’s refusal to offer remedies for the deportees for what he called “flagrant” due-process violations.
“Our starting point is the Court’s prior finding that the deportees were denied due process,” Boasberg wrote. “Against this backdrop, and mindful of the flagrancy of the Government’s violations of the deportees’ due-process rights that landed Plaintiffs in this situation, the Court refuses to let them languish in the solution-less mire Defendants propose.”
The judge’s order requires the government to provide “boarding letters” and cover the financial cost of air travel for the Venezuelans currently in third countries who “so desire” to return to the U.S.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
