What happened? Former North County Police Cooperative officer Marcellis Blackwell, 36, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 18 federal counts of violating citizens’ civil rights through sexual assault and kidnapping. Between November 2022 and June 2023, Blackwell routinely targeted men during traffic stops or arrests, taking them to remote locations—often after turning off his body-worn camera and later falsifying official logs. The FBI launched a federal investigation after a victim stepped forward in June 2023, bringing a systemic abuse of power to light. Blackwell faces up to 30 years in federal prison at his November 24 sentencing.
St. Louis’ Crime Chime – Weekly Whirlwind of Woes: Justice Derailed: Inside the Federal Conviction of Former Officer Marcellis Blackwell
Under the fluorescent buzz of the court’s strict hall, A former officer stood to take the ultimate fall. Marcellis Blackwell, thirty-six, from St. Louis city bounds, Plead guilty as the heavy gavels of justice resound.
Eighteen counts of rights denied under color of his badge, An oath he swore to uphold, replaced by a dark edge. In federal court he admitted to the charges brought that day: Eighteen men subjected to abuse while under his convey…