A former St. Louis police officer was sentenced to 52 months in prison Tuesday, nearly four years after he beat a Black fellow officer who was working undercover at a protest in 2017.
Randy Hays, 34, faced up to 10 years in prison for taking part in the beating of Detective Luther Hall but will serve four years in federal prison in addition to two years of probation after the prosecution and defense requested 70 and 36 months respectively.
Hays pleaded guilty in 2019 to a felony count of deprivation of civil rights under the color of law, but remained free pending his sentencing hearing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Costantin read a victim impact statement from Hall during the hearing.
“On September 17, 2017, my career ended, and a long journey of pain, stress, heartbreak, betrayal, and mistrust began,” the statement said in part. “I also learned that my 22 years of dedicated service meant nothing to the SLMPD and the SLPOA except to falsify documents and reports, release false information to the media and diligently work to get out ahead of this.”
Hall provided details about the “uneven days” he’s suffered since the attack, and shared about the symptoms he continues to experience as a result of the injuries he sustained.
“Since September 17, 2017, I have had 3 surgeries and multiple procedures to attempt to relieve the pain I feel every day. My doctors have advised me I will have to have additional surgeries in the future to address other injuries I sustained on September 17, 2017. The reality is I will live out the rest of my life in some degree of pain.”
On the day of the incident, Hall, a 22-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department, was working undercover at a protest in response to the acquittal of former St. Louis Officer Jason Stockley, who had been charged with murdering Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. During the beating carried out by his own colleagues, Hall was kicked in the face, which left him unable to eat.
Hall also suffered a tailbone injury, according to court documents, sustained a 2-centimeter laceration above his lip and had surgery to repair herniated disks in his neck and back. St. Louis agreed to pay Hall $5 million earlier this year to settle a lawsuit he filed against the city in 2019. In The suit, Hall claimed he had been beaten by several officers. Hays admitted to striking Hall with a baton, even though he wasn’t resisting arrest.
In March, Steven Korte, who is still on the force, was found not guilty of all charges, and former Officer Christopher Myers was acquitted on one count of deprivation of rights and jury could not reach a verdict in the destruction of property charge against him. The jury also did not convict former officer Dustin Boone, who was charged with depriving Hall of his civil rights under the color of law and aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime.
Former Officer Bailey Colletta pleaded guilty about two years ago in connection with the beating and was sentenced this week to three years of federal probation for lying to the FBI and a grand jury about what she saw during the assault.
Hays was set to read a statement at the hearing but was too overwhelmed with emotion, so his attorney read it for him.
“I’m greatly sorry for the effect they had on Luther Hall and his family as well. … As I replay that night in my head, there are so many things I would have done so differently. …That evening I chose wrong,” the statement said.
