The city of St. Louis has agreed to pay a $5-million settlement to a Black undercover cop who was beaten up by fellow officers in 2017.
Luther Hall was working undercover as a protester during a 2017 protest –ironically, against police violence — when he was beaten and severely injured by fellow cops with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The protests were organized after former police officer Jason Stockley was acquitted for shooting and killing a Black man, Anthony Lamar Smith, following a high-speed chase in 2011.
Hall’s job was to pretend to be a protester. He and others in the crowd wound up being beaten up by police.
Hall sued the city and police department, and taxpayers ended up paying the bill.
The settlement agreement was signed by St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, police Lt. Col. Lawrence O’Toole and Sgt. Joseph Marcantano of the police department, NBC affiliate KSDK News reported.
Twitter was outraged.
“As someone who lived in Saint Louis for many years, the STLPD county & city are some of the worst cops in the world…” one person tweeted.
Another posted, “The people of St. Louis will he paying for that. Police officers should be required to carry their own professional liability insurance. If an underwriter believes an officer is an liability and deny coverage, they should not be able to have a job in law enforcement.”
A 22-year veteran of the police department, Hall claimed in the lawsuit that he was kicked in the face during the beating and fellow officers tried to cover it up. His injuries left him unable to eat, KSDK reported.
Hall suffered a tailbone injury and a large laceration above one of his lips. He had to have surgery to repair herniated discs in his neck and back, according to the lawsuit. Hall said Marcantano participated in the beating and was later promoted to sergeant.
Others besides Hall have claimed that police used excessive force during the 2017 protests and have also filed lawsuits, KSDK reported. Hall’s white partner, who was also undercover as a protester, was arrested as well but was not beaten up, Newsweek reported.
Activists against police abuse say Hall’s lawsuit illustrates how deep police brutality goes in St. Louis, particularly against Black people. The suit has resulted in charges against the police involved in the incident.
Officers Christopher Myers, Dustin Boone, and Steven Korte are facing charges that they deprived Hall of his civil rights by arresting him without probable cause and then using unreasonable force against him. Their criminal trial is set to begin on March 15, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The police’s own words are being used against them as evidence. According to texts obtained by federal agents, Officer Christopher Myers wrote, “Let’s whoop some ass.” He added: “The bosses are being a little more lenient with the use of force by us.”
“The more the merrier!!!” Officer Dustin Boone wrote. “It’s going to be fun beating the hell out of these sheds once the sun goes down and nobody can tell us apart…”
Boone, Myers, along with Randy Hays and Bailey Colletta — two cops who have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the beating as well as lying to the FBI and a federal grand jury — have since left the St. Louis Police Department, The Root reported.
Hall is still employed by the department, however it is not known whether he has returned to active duty, Newsweek reported.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party’s sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.
The Ethical Society of Police, an organization that represents primarily Black police officers, released a statement supporting Hall, The Grio reported.
“Nothing will make Det. Luther Hall whole again. What he experienced was the epitome of evil from St. Louis City Police Department Officers,” officials said. “We hope this settlement will help him heal somehow, and there will be settlements for the citizens who were also brutalized by SLMPD very soon.”
