Roberts says independent prosecutors needed
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On the September 24 episode of This Week in Missouri Politics, Jeff Roorda, the executive director of the St. Louis Police Officer’s Association, blamed politicians for the escalation of the Stockley protests.
“You blame the politicians that aren’t honest about what happened. Shame on Mayor Krewson and everybody else who has castigated this decision,” he continued. “Under the rule of law, there’s no question of whether it’s the right decision.”
Later in the show, host Scott Faughn was joined by both Republican and Democrat Missouri state representatives Steve Roberts, Peter Meredith, Marsha Haefner, and Kathie Conway to comment on the verdict which caused intense protests.
Rep. Steve Roberts recounted details of the case.
“Immediately, I saw several red flags,” Roberts said. “First of all, it took six years for this case to come to trial and to me that’s just absolutely absurd and an example of why we need independent prosecutors. You have a police officer, box him in, come out with an AK-47, with a large drum magazine, wearing black gloves, I’d be terrified. To brush over that detail is absurd to me.”
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Michael Layer is a reporter for the Missouri Times and the Missouri Times Magazine. He joined the Missouri Times in August 2017 after graduating from Goucher College the previous May. To contact Michael, email michael@themissouritimes.com or follow him on Twitter @_MichaelLayer