The latest controversial killing in the St. Louis area was committed by an off duty policeman who was working for a private security firm with a history of messy incidents.
Security firm involved in shooting of St Louis teen has history of lawsuits Company that employed off-duty police officer who shot Vonderrit Myers Jr has paid out settlements over other incidents
The security company for which a St Louis police officer was working when he shot dead a black 18-year-old this week paid out tens of thousands of dollars to settle lawsuits over incidents involving other off-duty police officers working for it, according to the plaintiffs in those suits.
Vonderrit Myers Jr was killed on Wednesday evening by a 32-year-old city police officer who was working a shift as a security guard for GCI Security. St Louis police said that Myers shot three times at the officer, who has not been named, and that the officer fired repeatedly in response.
The shooting has drawn attention to the widespread practice of St Louis police officers working second jobs as private security guards. The officer who shot Myers was wearing his police uniform at the time, something permitted by the department. GCI alone was reported in 2012 to employ 168 police officers.
There appear to be some very fuzzy lines between the tax supported police department and private security firms. Police officers working for a private firm while appearing in their official uniforms raises serious questions. GCI Security previously operated under the name of Hi Tech Security. The owner of that firm lost his security license as a result of an illegal detention incident that was carried out by a moonlighting policeman. The policeman in that incident remained on the force without discipline and his name was kept confidential.
This all appears to be yet another piece of police corruption that has come to light.