Why would a police officer refuse to testify in murder cases he investigated — especially if he believes the defendants are guilty?
That's what retired St. Louis homicide detective Roger Murphey is doing, even though he knows it means criminals may be walking free. He's an extreme example of resistance to progressive prosecutors in the nationwide debate over how to deal with crime.
Murphey is a white Republican conservative cop who thinks crimes should have consequences and police officers shouldn't act like social workers. He opposes the policies of the former top prosecutor in St. Louis, Kim Gardner, a Black Democratic liberal politician who thinks poverty is the cause of most crimes and the criminal justice system needs major reform.
