NORTHWOODS, Mo. — A Northwoods police officer is on paid leave while a police brutality investigation takes place.
The officer is accused of beating a man who was found injured and lying in the grass almost one week ago in north St. Louis County.
Two different agencies are investigating this incident: the St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Unit, as well as the City of Northwoods conducting its own internal investigation.
It all started the night of Fourth of July, when a witness posted a photo of the victim on Facebook along with a description of what she saw. The photo shows a young man lying on the ground with a bloodied face.
The witness wrote that she saw an officer standing over the man in the picture. She said that she walked up to the victim and he told her the police beat him in the head.
While the investigation is still taking place and the officer is on leave, activists against police brutality such as JD Dixon are pleading for real action to take place.
Dixon is the Director of Empire 13, which is a nonprofit grassroots organization that helps families advocate against police brutality.
"This is just, again, another sad, menacing, evil example of what that is and, I mean, that has to stop," Dixon said.
Dixon said this is a continuation of police brutality against Black Americans.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me, but it doesn't take the lack of shock away, especially as much as we're fighting for justice because an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," he said.
Dixon hadn't seen the post until 5 On Your Side showed it to him.
"When I first saw the post, of course I mean, anger, just anger filled my heart, filled me up," he said.
St. Louis County Police confirmed officers responded to a man hurt, lying in the grass just before 9 p.m. on the 4th of July. It happened in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Hugo Street in Kinloch.
Police said the man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dixon said the world needs to see this as a 'human rights violation.'
"It's happening to Black and Brown Americans more often than not, but that is a human rights violation. We are all humans. We all bleed the same blood, and this is what they're doing to us, and it has to stop," he said.
The Northwoods Police Department Chief of Police Col. Dennis Shireff sent a statement about the investigation:
"I am issuing this statement regarding the initiation of a thorough, fact-finding and integrity-based investigation into an incident involving allegations of police brutality. Our commitment to transparency, accountability, and maintaining public trust compels us to conduct a comprehensive examination of the matter. At this time specifics, names and various details will be withheld to ensure and to protect the integrity of the investigation.
"The objective of this investigation is to establish the facts surrounding the allegations and determine if there were any violations of departmental policies, local, state, or federal laws, or breaches of professional conduct. The investigation will be conducted with the utmost impartiality and integrity, ensuring that all parties involved are given a fair opportunity to provide their account of the events.
"Investigators are collecting all available evidence, including but not limited to video footage, audio recordings, witness statements, medical reports, and any other relevant documentation. This investigation includes support of the St. Louis County Police Department to ensure that the facts and information remains unbiased.
"The involvement of an Independent Ombudsman in this investigation underscores our commitment to impartiality and fairness. The Ombudsman will ensure an external oversight and provide an additional layer of scrutiny to the process.
"All individuals involved, including officers and witnesses, will be interviewed to obtain their perspectives and gather additional information related to the incident. If appropriate, we may seek the assistance of independent experts as necessary, to report information to the public and or to analyze the evidence and provide objective insights into the incident. Additionally, we will work collaboratively to assess whether departmental policies and procedures were followed appropriately during the incident. If any shortcomings are identified, appropriate measures will be taken to address them. However, certain details may remain confidential to ensure the integrity of the investigation and protect the privacy of those involved.
"Once the investigation is concluded, if any officer is found to have violated departmental policies or committed unlawful acts, they will be held accountable through every appropriate disciplinary measure within the scope of the law up to and including termination and or criminal prosecution.
"We understand the seriousness of the allegations. Furthermore, we understand the impact such incidents have on public trust. Our commitment to serving and protecting our community remains unwavering."
The officer was put on paid leave Friday, but for Dixon, that's not enough.
"That only goes so far. That's just face value. We want to see actual action. We've heard transparency. We've heard administrative leave. We've heard members say, 'Oh, we're doing everything we can and we're going to investigate this to the end,' to only have that officer again put back on the force or even nothing happens to them at all," he said.
This is still an open and ongoing investigation.
St. Louis County police said no arrests or charges have been issued yet.