The names of 28 St. Louis police officers named on an exclusion list will not be made public. That's the decision of the judge, who had representatives from the police union and circuit attorney's office in his courtroom this week.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner flagged the officers over credibility concerns.
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The St. Louis Police officer's union asked for a court order that would keep the names secret for now, saying there would be irreversible damage if the names got out.
The judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday, so for now, the names will not be released.
What we know about the officer on the list comes from the Ethical Society of Police, which represents black officers in the city. They say most of the 28 officers are on desk duty, facing suspension or termination, criminal indictments, or have refused to testify in cases involving other police officers.
Gardner's office released the following statement in response to the judge's decision:
Police integrity is a critical component of a fair and just criminal justice system and something Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner unapologetically demands.
The decision today by Judge Stelzer to keep the list of police officers’ names confidential is consistent with our legal position. These names were never intended for public distribution. This list was created as a working document between our office and the police department to address our mutual desire to promote community trust in police.
We will continue to work collaboratively with the police department to investigate criminal cases and hold offenders accountable for violating Missouri law.
