St. Louis police chief launches new probe after White officers not convicted in beating Black undercover cop

A federal grand jury did not hand down any convictions Monday in the trial for three White St. Louis police officers accused of beating a Black undercover detective during a 2017 Black Lives Matter protest so badly that he had to undergo several surgeries and was unable to eat solid food for weeks.

A federal grand jury on Monday acquitted officer Steven Korte of charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and of lying to the FBI in connection to the attack on Detective Luther Hall. It happened when Hall was mistaken for a protester during demonstrations that erupted after former police officer Jason Stockley, who is White, was found not guilty in the 2011 death of Anthony Lamar Smith, a Black man. Former officer Christopher Myers also was acquitted Monday of a deprivation of rights count, but the jury could not reach a verdict on a charge of destruction of evidence against Myers for allegedly smashing Hall’s cellphone. The jury also deadlocked on the deprivation of rights charge against former officer Dustin Boone, leading the judge to declare a mistrial on counts where the jury could not agree.