4 Missouri prison guards charged with murder, and a fifth with manslaughter, in death of Black man

— Four Missouri prison guards were charged Friday with murder, and a fifth with accessory to involuntary manslaughter, in the December death of a Black man who was pepper sprayed, had his face covered with a mask and was left in a position that caused him to suffocate while in custody at a correctional facility, according to a complaint filed Friday. A group of guards making up the Department of Corrections Emergency Response Team was sweeping one of the housing units for contraband on Dec. 8, 2023, when Othel Moore Jr., 38, was pepper sprayed twice, then put in a spit hood, leg wrap and restraint chair, according to a news release from Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson. “There’s a system, pattern and practice of racist and unconstitutional abuse in the Missouri Department of Corrections, and especially within the Jefferson City Correction Center,” Stroth said, adding: “It’s George Floyd 3.0 in a prison.” After Moore was searched for contraband and stripped down to his boxers by other guards inside his cell, he was handcuffed behind his back and led outside, according to affidavits by Cole County Sheriff’s detectives. The lawsuit describes Moore’s death as part of “a systematic practice of fear-mongering, infliction of pain, and intimidation tactics.” The Missouri Department of Corrections released a statement Friday saying Moore died in a restraint system designed to prevent injury to himself and others, and that the department has discontinued using that system. The department has begun implementing body-worn cameras in restrictive-housing units at maximum-security facilities, starting with Jefferson City Correctional Center, to bolster both security and accountability.” Oriel Moore, Othel Moore’s sister, said her family never had a chance to see Othel Moore outside of prison after his childhood, adding to their heartbreak.