THE ASSAULT ON OFF-DUTY SLCPD BLACK OFFICER MUST BE PRIORITIZED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dated: Sunday October 13, 2024
Amid reports of a racially-biased assault on an African-American law enforcement officer, we find it egregiously suspect when the response from his own law enforcement agency is reviewed.
The September 26, 2024 assault of an off-duty African-American law enforcement officer by a group of White construction workers who hurled racial slurs, striking the officer’s car with an object, then assaulted the officer himself when he exited his vehicle to identify himself, spitting on him and using derogatory slurs like "stupid n****r", filled the space as the vicious attack unfolded, was made more egregious with the response and obvious mishandling of the situation by officers from the same agency that the victim officer was employed by.
Not only did responding officers from the St. Louis County Police Department treat their fellow officer with disrespect by handling him as if he were the perpetrator of the incident, handcuffing him, making him stand for several hours, bloodied and bruised without providing medical attention, answering questions, subjected to field sobriety tests, they appear to have completely ignored his status as a member of their own police agency, one who had obviously been the victim of a deliberate hate crime.
As law enforcement officers, we recognize the inherent dangers of our profession and that those incidents can occur both on and off-duty. Yet it seems apparent that, despite the results of the previous report presented by the Teneo Group in 2021, the St. Louis County Police Department remains plagued by a serious racially divisive atmosphere. There still appears to remain an aura of insensitiveness towards the issues directly related to their own officers of color, which must seemingly equally be extended to a failure to adequately address the issues of the various communities of color that they serve.
The racial slurs, the physical violence, and the degradation that this officer was subjected to, not only by his assailants but by members of his own law enforcement agency, are the tools of hatred which were used by white supremacists in the past, and they are the tools still wielded today. We will not remain silent while the specter of the past rises to haunt the present. This assault is an affront to our humanity, and a blatant act of racial terrorism meant to intimidate and demean.
Thus, the Board of Directors and General Membership of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (NABLEO) stand with the members of the Ethical Society of Police in demanding that the actions of the true suspects of this crime be met with the full force of justice, and that their charges be reevaluated under Missouri’s Hate Crime Statute. Their words and actions are not just an expression of violence but of a deeper hatred that must be rooted out and condemned. They must answer for their crimes not only as assailants but as perpetrators of racial violence.
Furthermore, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) must immediately terminate all contracts with the construction company involved in this incident. It is unacceptable for any entity that condones or enables this type of behavior to operate on our public roadways. The safety of every citizen—particularly those in marginalized communities—must be prioritized. This is not just about one company; it is about ensuring that no one can commit such heinous acts without consequence.
Lastly, the St. Louis County Police Department must review the actions of the responding officers, as their response to this incident is equally egregious and must be met with consequences.
The National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc, a 501.(c).(3) non-profit, is a premier national organization representing the interests and concerns of African American, Latino and other criminal justice practitioners of color serving in law enforcement, corrections, and investigative agencies throughout the United States, and the communities in which they serve.
