A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis convicted former Northwoods, Missouri police officer Samuel Davis on March 11 of several charges related to the assault of a handcuffed man in 2023.
The case highlights concerns about police conduct and accountability following the incident involving Davis and another former officer, Michael Hill. Jurors found Davis, 28, guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, one count of witness tampering by way of misleading conduct for making a misleading statement to a police dispatcher, and one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation for turning off his body-worn camera. He was acquitted on one count of conspiracy. Hill, 54, was acquitted of all charges.
According to evidence presented at trial, Northwoods police responded to a Walgreens store on July 4, 2023, regarding a shoplifting incident involving an individual identified as C.G., who was known to Davis from previous incidents. After handcuffing C.G., who cooperated with officers, Davis placed him in his patrol vehicle but did not take him to jail. Instead, he drove C.G. to an empty field in Kinloch where he allegedly pepper-sprayed him, beat him with a baton while he remained handcuffed—breaking his jaw—and then used a Taser on him. The attack ended when a passerby intervened; she later found C.G., bloodied and calling for help.
C.G. informed responding St. Louis County Police Department officers and medical personnel that he had been beaten by a Northwoods officer. Medical records confirmed the broken jaw and TASER records indicated use around the time of the alleged assault. Prosecutors said Davis did not file any report about the arrest or use of force and turned off his body-worn camera during the incident.
Davis faces up to 10 years in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law and up to 20 years for the other convictions. The FBI and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The verdict underscores ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address civil rights violations involving law enforcement officers.
