A former police officer in north St. Louis County is facing multiple federal charges after being accused of sexually assaulting men he had detained.
An indictment made public yesterday says between November 2022 and June, Marcellis Blackwell, 34, fondled the genitals of eight men while they were handcuffed. He's also accused of sodomizing one of them.
“The conduct alleged in the indictment is unacceptable for anyone, but infinitely more so for a police officer and when it involves handcuffed, helpless victims,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming in a statement.
Blackwell is also accused of kidnapping some of the men and turning off his body camera during the assaults.
Blackwell worked for the North County Police Cooperative at the time of the allegations. The department patrols eight cities including Wellston, Pine Lawn and Dellwood. Chief John Buchanan did not immediately return a call for comment.
The department has 55 sworn officers. State records show that two of them have licenses that are on probation, something that typically follows a license suspension.
Blackwell is already in jail in St. Louis County on similar state charges. In a motion to keep him behind bars, federal prosecutors said there are photos of additional victims on his phone. The FBI is urging anyone else whom Blackwell assaulted to call 314-589-2682.
Blackwell does not have an attorney listed for his federal case. A special appointed public defender in his state case said Blackwell denies any criminal conduct.
Blackwell graduated from Lincoln University’s law enforcement academy in 2022 alongside another NCPC officer. A spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety says his license to be a police officer in the state is currently suspended.
Blackwell changed his name in 2013. Before that, he was known as Willis Overstreet III. He also ran for mayor of Calumet City, a Chicago suburb.
