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A former Missouri police officer compared himself to Jesus before being sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaving a shoplifting suspect beaten, bloodied and with a broken jaw.
Former Northwoods Police Officer Samuel Davis, 28, was convicted in March of violating Charles Garmon’s civil rights after prosecutors said he drove Garmon from a Walgreens on July 4, 2023, to a Kinloch field several jurisdictions away instead of taking him to jail.
Davis turned off his body camera, pepper-sprayed Garmon, beat him with a baton, broke his jaw and threatened to kill him if he returned to Northwoods, prosecutors claim. A passerby later interrupted the attack after spotting Davis’ patrol car and found Garmon bleeding and calling for help.
Another former officer, Michael Hill, 54, was previously accused of having a role in the incident but was ultimately acquitted of all federal charges.
During the trial, Davis called the transport a “courtesy ride” and denied turning off his body camera, while his attorney suggested a power outage at the station may have caused the issue. Garmon, who was handcuffed at the time of the incident, testified he heard his jaw break during the assault, according to KSDK.
Before Thursday’s sentencing, Davis maintained his innocence and compared his situation to Jesus’ persecution, saying, “Jesus was prosecuted and accused of things he did not do,” according to Fox 2 Now.
Judge Stephen Clark responded that he heard Davis’ statement, but “the jury has spoken.”
Clark then proceeded to call out the entire Northwoods Police Department, saying it “created an atmosphere where this could occur,” and that it is a public embarrassment.
“It’s ironic this occurred on Independence Day,” Clark added.
The judge said he carefully reviewed the evidence before sentencing Davis to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The ex-cop’s punishment was below the recommended guideline range of 12.5 to 15.5 years.
Davis and his attorney both said they respected the jury’s decision while continuing to maintain his innocence.
“As we’ve said all along, we’ve maintained our innocence. It’s very important that people understand that,” defense attorney Neil Bruntrager told Fox 2 Now. “But the flip side of it is, again, I was very impressed by the judge’s understanding and compassion for the difficulty that a police officer encounters when he’s out doing his or her job.”
A 2023 civil lawsuit filed on behalf of Garmon seeks damages from Davis, fellow officer Hill and the city of Northwoods over the beating, KSDK reported. The lawsuit claims Garmon suffered permanent injuries and also seeks punitive damages. The case was paused last year while the criminal proceedings continued.
