Three white construction workers in the St. Louis area face multiple felony charges after allegedly assaulting an off-duty Black police officer and shouting racial slurs at him.
Matthew Devlin, 39, of Fenton, Missouri, was charged with three counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of first-degree kidnapping. His co-defendants, Garrett Gibbs, 23, also from Fenton, and Donnie Hurley Jr., 42, from Arnold, Missouri, are each charged with two counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, and first-degree kidnapping.
It’s not clear if the suspects were aware the victim was a cop because his car was unmarked and he was dressed in plainclothes.
All three men are being held at the St. Louis County jail.
Devlin’s bond was set at $250,000. Bonds for Gibbs and Hurley were set at $100,000, according to court records.
It’s not clear whether they have legal representation.
Witnesses heard Devlin telling the unidentified officer to “go back to the ‘hood with your gold chain” and that he did not “belong down here,” according to the Kansas City Star, citing court documents.
The incident happened on Sept. 26 at the intersection of South Lindbergh Boulevard and Lemay Ferry Road in Clayton, just outside St. Louis. The area was under construction, and they believe the altercation erupted due to confusion over the work zone boundaries, St. Louis County Police told news outlets.
The off-duty officer involved in the incident was driving an unmarked vehicle while dressed in plainclothes when he entered an area marked by traffic cones. However, it was unclear whether those cones adequately indicated a restricted area, according to a police spokesperson.
An argument broke out when Devlin confronted the off-duty officer for walking into the work detail. According to witnesses, he blurted several racial slurs at the officer before he was attacked.
Devlin is accused of striking the off-duty officer with a hard hat while the other suspects restrained him, according to police reports.
Devlin and Gibbs then allegedly placed the off-duty officer in a headlock, choking him as the officer pleaded that he could not breathe.
Additional officers arrived on the scene and broke up the fight.
