• Four St. Louis cops indicted for beating undercover cop posing as protester
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/30/its-still-blast-beating-people-st-louis-police-indicted-assault-undercover-officer-posing-protester/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e93620d5480b When a judge acquitted a white St. Louis police officer in September 2017 for fatally shooting a young black man, the city’s police braced for massive protests. But St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Dustin Boone wasn’t just prepared for the unrest — he was pumped. “It’s gonna get IGNORANT tonight!!” he texted on Sept. 15, 2017, the day of the verdict. “It’s gonna be a lot of fun beating the hell out of these s---heads once the sun goes down and nobody can tell us apart!!!!” Two days later, prosecutors say, that’s exactly what Boone did to one black protester. Boone, 35, and two other officers, Randy Hays, 31, and Christopher Myers, 27, threw a man to the ground and viciously kicked him and beat him with a riot baton, even though he was complying with their instructions. But the three police officers had no idea that the man was a 22-year police veteran working undercover, whom they beat so badly that he couldn’t eat and lost 20 pounds. On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted the three officers in the assault. They also indicted the men and another officer, Bailey Colletta, 25, for the attack. Prosecutors released text messages showing the officers bragging about assaulting protesters, with Hays even noting that “going rogue does feel good.” The 2017 protests centered on the case of officer Jason Stockley, who had killed 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith in December 2011 after chasing him following an alleged drug buy. Stockley had an unauthorized, personal AK-47 on the scene and was recorded on a dash cam during the chase saying he was “going to kill” Smith. Moments later, after Smith crashed, Stockley fired five fatal shots into his car. Asked how he was faring during the demonstrations two days after the verdict, Boone responded, “A lot of cops getting hurt, but it’s still a blast beating people that deserve it. . . . I’m enjoying every night.” That same day, Boone, Hays and Myers encountered a man identified as L.H. in federal documents. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he was Luther Hall, a veteran city police officer working undercover during the demonstrations. Though he made no effort to resist, the three officers brutally beat Hall, who was left with a two-centimeter hole above his lip, an injured tailbone and back injuries that required surgery; he still hasn’t recovered enough to return to work, the Post-Dispatch reported.
I'm glad they caught at least a few corrupt cops, but god our system's broken if the only way these people get punished is if they blatantly shoot a random person in the face or beat up another cop.
It's sad that the thought, "oh no the thing I did was bad because it was a cop" probably ran through their minds
They kinda blew a really good alibi for the undercover cop. Kinda hard calling someone a cop or narc when they saw the guy being assaulted by cops. I know, the cops that beat the guy are shit.
Bet they felt silly.
I guess you actually have to be an undercover cop to be considered to have a citizens rights.
bodycams on 24/7 must be a thing, no turning on or off. Its just sad that they wouldve got away with it had he not been a cop
The usual arguments b-b-but! privacy! :c The Camera doesn't leave the police officer's body. He's already seeing whatever you're claiming is oh so private. b-b-but the costs! :c I'm sure the costs of a few thousand cameras would very quickly save the cost of a million long legal battles when there's hard evidence to be used.
A bunch of fascist cops beating up an agent provocateur is fucking rich
Costs are actually a concern considering departments struggle to maintain what they have and nobody will vote to increase funding because cops are evil. Before anyone brings up militarization, that shit is on lease from the federal government for pennies on the dollar and doesn't belong to the department.
It's so sad to see how many people fall victim to gang violence.
You know, maybe if this was used more often - with the riot cops being informed police that there are undercover agents among the crowd - then we can reduce abuse like this case. I mean, it should never be needed. But if that keeps cops actually following the rules then that's something, right? Hell, just having the threat of it might be enough even if there are not really any undercover agents around.
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