A former St. Louis police officer has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the on-duty shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith — an incident that led to one of the largest wrongful-death settlements stemming from a police shooting in the city’s history, the Post-Dispatch has learned.The killing took place in 2011. The shooter made statements (that were recorded) during the chase that he was going to kill the guy they were chasing. The cop then did indeed kill the guy, claiming that the vic had a gun.
Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce’s office on Monday charged Jason Stockley, 35, of Houston. St. Louis police and U.S. marshals arrested Stockley on Monday at his home in the 6300 block of Chevy Chase Drive in Houston.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Mullen ordered Stockley held without bail. He is in custody in Harris County, Texas.
A gun was found. But testing showed that the only DNA to be found on it was the cop's. It was a classic "throwdown" piece, but only this time they were able to prove it.
Still, it took 4-1/2 years to get to that point. My suspicion is that, without the continuing pressure of the family, activists and the fact that the city settled a wrongful death suit for 900 grand, that this would have been swept under the rug. Just like Chicago tried to do.
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