An officer in St. Louis is being accused on planting a gun on a victim he shot and killed.
Earlier this year officer Jason Stockley was charged with murder following the 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. Prosecutors says new evidence has emerged about the case that may point to Stockley planting a gun in Smith’s car.
Back in 2011, officers were led on a high speed chase that started with a suspected drug deal outside a restaurant. Video and audio from inside the cop car shows the officer saying, “Going to kill this motherf—– don’t you know it.” Stockley and his partner eventually rammed Smith’s rented car with their SUV before Stockley fired five rounds into the driver’s window.
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In his report, Stockley noted a silver handgun in the car, but court documents show that only Stockley’s DNA was found on the gun and relatives of Smith say the gun was planted. Video shows that after the shooting Stockley returns his personal AK-47-style pistol, which he was not authorized to carry, back to the car. He’s later seen returning to the car and going through a duffel bag in the back seat before heading back to Smith’s video for the remainder of the video.
Prosecutors have yet to accuse Stockley of planting the gun and told reporters, “he people of the City of St. Louis have a right to determine whether the State has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The courtroom is the appropriate forum for this matter.”
Stockley has been released on $1 million bail.