“George Floyd 3.0”: Prison guard in Missouri charged with murder of black man

Four Missouri prison guards have been charged with murder and a fifth with manslaughter in the December death of 38-year-old Black man Othel Moore Jr. According to a lawsuit filed Friday, Moore was pepper-sprayed, had his face covered with a mask and was held in a position that caused him to suffocate while in custody at a correctional facility.

The incident occurred on December 8, 2023, when a group of guards from the Department of Corrections’ emergency response team conducted a raid for contraband in one of the housing units. During the raid, Moore was pepper sprayed twice and then placed in a spit hood, leg cuff, and restraint chair. He was then moved to a separate housing unit, where he remained in the hood, cuff, and chair for 30 minutes despite hearing several people say he was unable to breathe. Moore was eventually taken to a hospital wing, where he was pronounced dead.

The medical examiner concluded that Moore’s cause of death was positional asphyxia. The events were recorded on the jail’s video surveillance system. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson stated, “After sitting down and reviewing all of the evidence, the dozens of interviews and all of the reports, we came to the conclusion that charges should be filed.”

Andrew Stroth, an attorney for Moore’s family, described the incident as “George Floyd 3.0 in a prison” and claimed there was a pattern of racist and unconstitutional abuse within the Missouri Department of Corrections, particularly at the Jefferson City Correction Center.

The indictment charges Justin Leggins, Jacob Case, Aaron Brown and Gregory Varner with one count each of second-degree murder and one count of aiding and abetting second-degree assault. Bryanne Bradshaw, a fifth guard, is charged with aiding and abetting manslaughter. Those charged with murder face 10 to 30 years in prison.

Moore’s family has filed a lawsuit against the officers and the Department of Corrections, claiming that the attack on Moore was not an isolated incident, but rather a barbaric pattern of behavior encouraged by the highest ranking members of the Missouri Department of Corrections.