Photo: Getty Images North America
The Louisiana Democratic Party is calling for accountability over what they say were “wrongful accusations” against late LSU football player Kyren Lacy, per WWL.
Lacy, 24, died by suicide in April following a police pursuit in Houston, two days before he was scheduled to appear before a grand jury on charges of negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run. The charges stemmed from a December 2024 crash in Louisiana that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall.
In January, the Louisiana State Police announced that an investigation into the crash had determined Lacy was driving recklessly, passing multiple vehicles at high speed in a no-passing zone. Police alleged that Lacy’s actions forced a truck to brake suddenly, causing a chain reaction that ended with another vehicle striking Hall’s vehicle. Authorities claimed Lacy left the scene without stopping or calling for help. An arrest warrant was issued for Lacy, leading to his invitation to the NFL Combine being revoked.
On April 8, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said Lacy fled from a constable and crashed his vehicle after several miles. Deputies later found that he had shot himself before the car came to a stop.
New evidence presented by Lacy's attorney, Matthew Ory, on Saturday (October 4) raised questions about the allegations against Lacy. Ory shared surveillance video that showed Lacy’s car was 92.3 yards behind Hall’s vehicle and 72.6 yards behind the other cars involved at the time of impact.
“Kyren Lacy passed four vehicles — no one disputes that,” Ory said. “But at the moment of impact, he was back in his lane, 92.3 yards behind Mr. Hall’s vehicle. That is not how this story was ever painted. Never.”
Ory also shared body camera footage of a Louisiana state trooper appearing to instruct a witness on what to include in their report. Ory said the evidence points to misleading actions by law enforcement and a rush to judgment.
In response to the evidence, the Louisiana State Police defended their investigation into the incident.
“LSP conducted a detailed investigation with the assistance of crash reconstruction experts… The findings were presented to the 17th Judicial District Court, which approved an arrest warrant based on the evidence collected. As with all investigations leading to arrest, the subjects of the investigation are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
On Saturday, Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Dadrius Lanus released a statement calling the case “deeply troubling” and an example of how “false reporting by some in law enforcement can destroy lives and damage public trust.” The party is urging Attorney General Liz Murrill to launch an independent investigation into how the case was handled.
The party, with the support of the Lacy family, is also backing the creation of “The Lacy Law," proposed legislation aimed at penalizing officers or agencies who knowingly misrepresent evidence, and protecting the rights of falsely accused citizens.
Lacy played three seasons at LSU, recording 112 receptions, 1,692 yards, and 16 touchdowns.
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