Work zone assault case draws attention of civil rights leaders

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A south county work zone assault now has the NAACP and the Missionary Baptist State Convention of Missouri seeking answers.

No one disputes an assault on Lindbergh and Lemay Ferry Road the night of Sept. 26.

Road workers claimed to FOX 2 it was started by an off-duty St. Louis County police officer who drove into their work zone that was blocked off with cones. Then three of those workers were arrested and charged with the assault.

We’ve reported all week how the workers have questioned the police response. Now a group of civil rights leaders has their own questions.

NAACP St. Louis president Adolphus Pruitt said, “The only person of color on the scene was the off-duty police officer, and he was the only one that was detained by police for a moment of time.”

Road worker Garrett Gibbs also reported the off-duty officer had been cuffed and that the road workers were never even questioned.

He told us before his arrest, “I would have given a statement if asked.”

Now, ministers like Rev. Dr. Linden Bowie say they have to find some of those missing pieces.

“There is a truth, and we’re seekers of that truth; we don’t just fight for people that are our color; we fight for truth,” Bowie said.

The coalition says the off-duty officer made an innocent mistake driving in the work zone at about 10:30 p.m. that night, and that one of the workers banged on his car with a flashlight, leading to the officer getting out of his car.

A probable cause statement accuses road worker Matthew Devlin of using racial slurs while allegedly hitting the officer with a helmet. The civil rights leaders say they’ve learned Devlin also allegedly spit on the officer.

“We’ve also asked the local FBI to take a look at this situation, and we’re asking them to consider escalating it up to federal hate crime charges,” Pruitt added.

They also dispute the workers allegation that the officer was intoxicated, saying they’ve learned he passed a field sobriety test.

Rev. Phillip Duvall said, “We also have a duty as ministers of the gospel and civil rights organizations to use our platform to ensure that everything is done fairly: equative, morally, spiritually.”

All three road worker defendants have bond reduction hearings next week. The off-duty officer, whom police are not naming, is back on the streets.

The Ethical Society of Police released a statement Friday that read, in part:

“On September 26, 2024, an African-American off-duty police officer was brutally assaulted by multiple members of a road construction crew in an attack driven by nothing less than racial hatred. The vile behavior of these individuals echoes the ugly history of white supremacy that plagued this country decades ago.

“This assault was compounded by the heartbreaking mishandling of the situation by the same agency that should have been an ally to this officer—the St. Louis County Police Department. When officers arrived at the scene, the off-duty officer—who had been beaten, humiliated, and degraded—was treated not as a victim but as a suspect. Despite his pleas, despite the obvious signs of his innocence, officers chose to detain him, handcuffing him while giving weight to the lies of his attackers.

“We demand that the charges against these individuals be reevaluated under Missouri’s Hate Crime Statute. Their words and actions are not just an expression of violence but of a deeper hatred that must be rooted out and condemned. They must answer for their crimes not only as assailants but as perpetrators of racial violence.

“Furthermore, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) must immediately terminate all contracts with the construction company involved in this incident. It is unacceptable for any entity that condones or enables this type of behavior to operate on our public roadways. The safety of every citizen—particularly those in marginalized communities—must be prioritized. This is not just about one company; it is about ensuring that no one can commit such heinous acts without consequence.”

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