Bailey Colletta is a former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer who pleaded guilty in September 2019 to lying to a federal grand jury about the 2017 beating of Luther Hall, a Black undercover detective assaulted by white fellow officers during downtown protests. She was sentenced in July 2021 to three years of probation, two consecutive weekends in jail, and 200 hours of community service.1U.S. Department of Justice. Judge Sentences Former SLMPD Officer for Perjury Regarding Undercover Officer’s Assault
What Colletta Did the Night Luther Hall Was Beaten
Colletta was 25 and assigned to protest detail in downtown St. Louis on September 17, 2017, the night demonstrations erupted following the acquittal of former officer Jason Stockley.2U.S. Department of Justice. Four St. Louis Police Officers Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice Luther Hall, a 22-year veteran of the department, was working undercover among the protesters, recording video on his cellphone.3The New York Times. St. Louis Officer Beating Settlement
Fellow officers mistook Hall for a demonstrator. According to court records, Colletta ordered Hall to the ground and then watched as other officers tackled him and beat him with a baton.4Seattle Times. Ex-St. Louis Officer Gets Probation in Colleague’s Beating Hall’s injuries were severe. He needed surgery that left plates in his neck, and he was later diagnosed with several herniated discs, a jaw injury, a ruptured gall bladder, chronic pancreatitis, and post-traumatic stress disorder.5First Alert 4. Undercover Officer Beaten During Stockley Protests Speaks Out in First Interview
Afterward, Colletta told the FBI and a federal grand jury that Hall’s arrest had not been violent. She later admitted the statement was a lie intended to cover up what her colleagues had done.4Seattle Times. Ex-St. Louis Officer Gets Probation in Colleague’s Beating
The Federal Charges and Guilty Plea
On November 29, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri indicted Colletta alongside three other officers: Dustin Boone, Randy Hays, and Christopher Myers. The case, United States v. Boone (4:18-cr-00975), was assigned to U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber. Colletta was charged with obstruction of justice, and a superseding indictment added a count of false statements before a grand jury.2U.S. Department of Justice. Four St. Louis Police Officers Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice6CourtListener. United States v. Boone – Parties
On September 6, 2019, Colletta pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to a federal grand jury. Under the plea agreement, she forfeited her law enforcement certification and faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison.7U.S. Department of Justice. Former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Committing Perjury
Colletta’s Sentence
Judge Webber sentenced Colletta on July 15, 2021. She received three years of probation, two consecutive weekends in jail, and 200 hours of community service. The sentence also required drug testing and counseling.1U.S. Department of Justice. Judge Sentences Former SLMPD Officer for Perjury Regarding Undercover Officer’s Assault
Her punishment stood in sharp contrast to that of Randy Hays, the officer who admitted beating Hall with a baton. Just days earlier, Hays had been sentenced to 52 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a felony count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law.8Business Insider. Ex-Officer Who Beat Undercover Black Colleague Sentenced to Prison
What Happened to Luther Hall
Hall’s law enforcement career ended. In his first public interview about the attack, he said, “I cannot be a policeman,” and described thinking about the assault every day.5First Alert 4. Undercover Officer Beaten During Stockley Protests Speaks Out in First Interview
He pursued civil claims separately from the federal criminal case. In 2021, he settled a federal lawsuit against the City of St. Louis for $5 million. Then, on April 15, 2024, St. Louis Circuit Judge Joseph Whyte entered a default judgment of more than $23 million against Randy Hays, who had failed to respond to Hall’s state-court suit. The award included $10 million in punitive damages, $11 million for past and future physical and emotional pain, roughly $2 million in lost wages, approximately $366,000 in medical expenses, and more than $213,000 for lost retirement and insurance benefits.9St. Louis Public Radio. Judge Awards $23 Million to Ex-St. Louis Cop Beaten by Police During 2017 Protests Judge Whyte, in his ruling, said Hall “had to endure this severe beating, and while that was happening, he knew it was being administered by his colleagues who were sworn to serve and protect.”3The New York Times. St. Louis Officer Beating Settlement Hall’s claims against Boone and Myers remained pending as of that ruling.10The Guardian. Undercover St. Louis Police Officer Awarded $23M