Police accountability

The jury that convicted Watkins in 2016 was never informed that the white officer whose testimony was the only evidence at trial had a history of racist social media posts and a previous mistaken identification of a Black man that led to a death in custody.

A federal lawsuit alleges St. Louis sheriff's deputies told the Jefferson County man he could not protest in front of the Civil Courts Building — a public area — due to department policy. No such policy seems to exist.

The man, known only as Sniper 1, fatally shot two-year-old Clesslynn Crawford during a 2022 standoff. He is still working for the Joplin Police Department.

A south St. Louis bar owner has been released from the St. Louis City Justice Center after being charged with assault following a Monday morning incident in which a police officer crashed a car into the bar.

In St. Louis, murder investigations often rely on a single detective, making them vulnerable if the detective is unable or unwilling to come to court. But a former homicide investigator said he has no obligation to cooperate, claiming that “retirement is meant to be retirement.”

Over 35,000 people who were jailed in St. Ann between 2014 and 2021 can receive money from a $3.1 million class-action settlement. ArchCity Defenders claimed the city illegally jailing people without inquiring about their ability to make bail.

Lawmakers are devising the measure after WBEZ obtained footage of a northern Illinois cop leading a 15-year-old to falsely confess to a shooting.

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem denied the city’s claims that the 2021 state law bolstering protections for police under investigation for misconduct was unconstitutional.

Thousands of people whom Normandy police jailed, fined or filed a warrant against between 2013 and 2021 can receive money from a $1.3 million class-action settlement. People who are eligible have until Aug. 26 to join the suit.

The special investigation examined thousands of hours of overtime incurred by police officers to fix up the city jail.