The parents of former LSU football star Kyren Lacy blame the Louisiana State Police for his death. In a newly filed lawsuit, they allege that a “fabricated investigation” was responsible for Lacy taking his own life.
On December 17, 2024, authorities accused Kyren Lacy, a projected top 50 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, of causing a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a former Marine and the injuries of two others.
According to Louisiana police, Lacy caused the collision in his 2023 Dodge Charger south by “recklessly passing multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated No-Passing Zone.” He then allegedly fled the scene without reporting his involvement to the authorities.
The allegations led the NFL to remove Kyren Lacy from the Draft Combine. Shortly thereafter, with the case set to go before a grand jury trial, Lacy took his own life.
Lacy’s attorney would later present security camera footage of the collision, which seemed to refute the description of the accident provided by the police.
Kyren Lacy’s parents file lawsuit against the Louisiana State Police and two troopers
According to WBRZ News, Kenneth Lacy and Kandace Washington filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Louisiana State Police and two troopers who investigated the January 2025 traffic collision, allegedly involving the late LSU star.
“The extreme emotional distress inflicted by Defendants’ intentional and reckless misconduct was the direct and proximate cause of Mr. Lacy’s decision to take his own life,” the lawsuit reads. “But for Defendants’ fabricated investigation, false arrest and malicious prosecution, Mr. Lacy would be alive today.”
The lawsuit cites an independent review conducted by the Lafourche District Attorney, which discovered “several inconsistencies” in the Louisiana State Police investigation. According to the lawsuit, troopers created the false impression that Lacy was actively passing cars at the time of the collision.
According to the lawsuit, the troopers wrote a false crash report that blamed Lacy for the collision, despite video evidence to the contrary. Additionally, one of the troopers is accused of telling a witness that Lacy was the cause of the collision, even though the witness stated that “that lady behind me… she caused the wreck.”
The lawsuit also claims the trooper marked a written statement as “refused” and switched off his body camera when the witness refused to sign it.
Louisiana State Police interviewed the driver who is accused in the lawsuit at the hospital approximately three weeks following the collision. According to the lawsuit, body camera footage reveals a trooper assured her and her mother she would not face any charges.
Lacy’s parents say their son took his own life after “being overwhelmed by the emotional distress, public scrutiny, reputational harm, loss of professional opportunities and mental anguish caused by Defendants’ wrongful accusations, false arrest and malicious prosecution.”