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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 1 december 2018

St. Louis indictments seen as glimpse of police mindset

By JIM SALTER patch reported they were
Associated Press shackled at the wrists and
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The indict- ankles. They were released
ment of four St. Louis police on their own recognizance
officers provides a troubling but U.S. Magistrate Judge
glimpse into the mindset of Noelle Collins told them to
officers who were eager remove any guns from their
to rough up protesters dur- homes within 24 hours. At-
ing a tumultuous period torneys for the officers de-
in 2017, civil rights leaders clined comment.
said Friday. Meanwhile, Democratic
The federal indictment an- state Sen. Jamilah Na-
nounced Thursday accuses sheed of St. Louis called for
officers Dustin Boone, Ran- the Missouri Department of
dy Hays and Christopher Public Safety to suspend
Myers of attacking an un- the officers' licenses imme-
dercover colleague during diately.
a 2017 protest, not knowing "I am appalled by the un-
he was an officer, and try- ethical, out of control, and
ing to obstruct the investi- vicious behavior of these
gation. Officer Bailey Col- officers. The text messages
letta was accused of lying In this Sept. 17, 2017 file photo, police chase vandals as demonstrators march in response to a not released last night show
to a federal grand jury. guilty verdict in the trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley in St. Louis. these individuals were more
St. Louis was besieged by Associated Press interested in terrorizing our
protests after the Sept. 15, community than protect-
2017, acquittal of Jason The indictment said elec- officers were using the an- sion, they were going to ing it," Nasheed, who is
Stockley, a white former tronic messages shared onymity of their SWAT uni- act out their violence, they black, said in a statement.
police officer charged in between the accused of- forms and face masks after were going to act out their Police Chief John Hayden
the 2011 death of a black ficers expressed disdain for removing their name tags disregard for the law and said in a statement he was
man, Anthony Lamar Smith. protesters and excitement so that they could beat citi- the civil liberties and rights "deeply disappointed" by
Stockley claimed Smith, 24, "about using unjustified zens with impunity," said Ja- of people." the allegations, but they
had a gun and he fired in force against them and vad Khazaeli, an attorney The indicted officers were are "in no way reflective of
self-defense; prosecutors going undetected while whose law firm has filed suit part of the police depart- the hard work and dedica-
said Stockley planted the doing so." against police on behalf of ment's Civil Disobedience tion exhibited by the men
weapon in Smith's car at Several of the messages 23 people arrested in pro- Team, which included and women of our Depart-
the end of a pursuit. cited in the indictment tests. more than 200 officers re- ment who serve the com-
Two nights after the acquit- were attributed to Boone. Later on Sept. 15, 2017, sponding to the protests. munity on a daily basis with
tal, demonstrators broke On the day of Stockley's Boone allegedly wrote, A 22-year police veteran integrity and honor."
windows and turned over acquittal, Boone allegedly "We really need these (ex- identified only as L.H. also Tony Rothert, legal direc-
flower pots downtown. wrote, "The more the mer- pletives) to start acting up was part of the team, but tor of the ACLU of Missouri,
Police eventually used a rier!!! It's gonna get IGNO- so we can have some fun." working undercover. The in- urged St. Louis leaders to
technique known as "ket- RANT tonight!! But it's gon- The Rev. Darryl Gray, a dictment accused Boone, "address this rampant law-
tling" to make 123 arrests. In na be a lot of fun beating black activist who orga- Hays and Myers of throwing lessness by its police."
kettling, police form barriers the hell out of these (exple- nized many of the Stock- L.H. to the ground, hitting "While these officers have
and gradually move in on tives) once the sun goes ley protests, believes other him with a baton, kicking been indicted for illegally
suspects. down and nobody can tell officers not named in the him. A police spokeswom- abusing an undercover
Protest and civil rights lead- us apart!!!!" indictment had similar at- an said the undercover of- officer they mistook for
ers said many of those Critics have long raised titudes toward demonstra- ficer is still with the depart- a protester, there has still
caught up in the kettle concerns that many offi- tors. ment but wouldn't say if been no real account-
were peaceful protesters, cers removed name tags "Those three made it very he has recovered from his ability for the individuals
journalists and onlookers. during the protests, making clear that it wasn't just a dis- injuries. officers who engaged in
Police were accused of identification difficult. cussion, it was an attitude," All four officers made their the same behavior toward
brutalizing and taunting "The text messages confirm Gray said. "They were go- first court appearances Fri- protesters," Rothert said in a
many of those arrested. our suspicions that these ing to act out their aggres- day. The St. Louis Post-Dis- statement.q