St Louis cops indicted for beating up a "protester" who turned out to be an undercover cop

After St Louis police officer Jason Stockley, killed an unarmed black man named Anthony Lamar Smith with an unauthorized AK-47, planted a pistol on his body, and was then acquitted on murder charges in 2017, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Dustin Boone sent several texts in which he relished the prospect of beating up the protesters he anticipated following the verdict: phrases like "It's still a blast beating people" and It's gonna get IGNORANT tonight!!" and "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!!!!"

These weren't idle musings: Boone and two fellow officers Randy Hays (who later texted "going rogue does feel good"), and Christopher Myers grabbed a black protester that night, threw him to the ground, and kicked and clubbed him, while the protester peacefully complied with their barked orders.

That black man was actually a cop, with 22 years on the force. Following the beating, he was hospitalized, couldn't eat, and ultimately lost 20 pounds; he's since had surgery for his injuries and remains too disabled to return to work.

All three officers (as well as another cop, Bailey Colletta) have been indicted by a Grand Jury. The indictment alleges that the officers destroyed evidence and lied to investigators. The local police union says that we shouldn't rush to justice on these three white cops who beat up a black cop, because that would be convicting them before "their day in court."

In fact, texts from Boone, Hays and Myers suggest those officers were explicitly looking forward to violently attacking protesters. The day the verdict was released, Myers suggested they "whoop some ass." Boone boasted about how he would beat "people up when they don't act right," and "just grab" protesters and "toss them around."

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.

'It's still a blast beating people': St. Louis police indicted in assault of undercover officer posing as protester [Tim Elfrink/Washington Post]

(Thanks, Dre!)