WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department says the Louisiana State Police engages in practices that violate the constitutional rights of people with whom it interacts.

Findings announced after a “pattern and practice investigation” Thursday afternoon said the agency routinely uses excessive force, including the unjustified use of Tasers, and escalates minor incidents involving people who do not pose a threat. The entire report is available at the Justice Department website.

Among other findings, the Justice Department said the agency uses unreasonable force without warning and without giving people an opportunity to comply with directions. It also found troopers used force on people in handcuffs and on people accused only of misdemeanors.

In a brief statement issued with its report, the Justice Department noted the agency is reforming itself and has made changes in its use-of-force policy, but it says more work must be done.

Gov. Jeff Landry said the report “seeks to diminish the service and exceptionality” of the State Police.

“We will not let that happen,” Landry said, without offering specifics. “The reputation of our men and women in blue is one of respect, admiration, and appreciation, and we will always have their bac.”

Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that the U.S. Justice Department was acting to advance a political agenda and did not address the agency’s actual findings.

“We will continue to ensure that LSP is the finest law enforcement organization in the country and have a deep respect and appreciation for all of Louisiana’s law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for the citizens of our great State each and every day and they have our steadfast support,” she said.

The Justice Department has been looking at the State Police since 2022. The report comes just after the department said it would not file criminal charges following the death of motorist Ronald Greene.

The investigators laid the blame on poor supervision of troopers, noting that the agency doesn’t do meaningful reviews following the use of force. It also said training modules “encourage aggressive behavior and escalate encounters.”

The report’s executive summary details Greene’s traffic stop in northern Louisiana on May 19, 2019. Police chased Greene for 14 minutes until he crashed, then punched him, dragged him by his ankles and left him face down in the road.

When a supervisor arrived, he stepped over Greene and checked on how the officers were doing. “None of the troopers rendered aid to Mr. Greene, who became unresponsive and died before he reached the hospital,” the report said.

“Mr. Greene’s death and its aftermath demonstrated serious failures at LSP — excessive force, improper supervision, ineffective training, and breakdowns in accountability,” the report said. “These failures were not isolated, but part of a larger pattern or practice of law enforcement conduct that deprives people in Louisiana of their rights under the Constitution.”