Two former Northwoods police officers are on trial this week in a case that prosecutors say started at a Walgreens parking lot and ended with a man beaten and left in a Kinloch field. The alleged victim, 56-year-old Charles Garmon, testified that on July 4, 2023, he was taken from the Northwoods Walgreens, put in a squad car and beaten repeatedly with a metal baton while his hands were cuffed behind his back. He told jurors he heard his jaw break and later realized he was choking on his own blood.
Witness accounts and bodycam footage
On the first full day of testimony, witness Kenik Williams told the court she spotted a Northwoods patrol car near an abandoned field, then called 911 after finding a man injured on the ground. St. Louis County Officer Ryan Wilson testified that his bodycam footage, which was played for jurors, showed a man barely moving and that first responders had to roll him so he would not choke. Those courtroom details were reported by FOX2.
Prosecutors' theory
Prosecutors say Officer Michael Hill did not activate his body camera and that Officer Samuel Davis' camera was turned off before the alleged victim was placed in the patrol car. They contend Hill told Davis to take the man to Kinloch, where Davis struck him with a baton, as outlined by the Department of Justice. The indictment also alleges efforts to mislead investigators and to alter records related to the encounter. Those federal counts were filed last summer and remain part of the broader legal record as the state trial moves forward.
Defense: 'courtesy ride' and equipment issues
Defense attorneys told jurors their clients did not act violently. They say Davis gave Garmon a "courtesy ride" instead of arresting him and that Hill, who was supervising that night, never ordered that he be abandoned. The defense also pointed to Garmon’s prior shoplifting contacts at the Northwoods Walgreens and a no-trespass order as context for the encounter. Counsel argued that a recent storm knocked out power and kept police equipment from being properly charged, an explanation reported by FOX2.
Civil suit and federal charges
Garmon filed a federal civil suit that names the officers and the City of Northwoods, alleging excessive force, false arrest and kidnapping, according to court filings and local reporting by KMOV. The Department of Justice's earlier indictment accuses the officers of conspiring to deprive the man of his civil rights and describes alleged steps to cover up the encounter. Both criminal and civil tracks remain active. Criminal guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, while the civil case uses a lower standard of proof.
A broader oversight question
The episode has also reignited questions about oversight at small municipal departments and the difficulty of tracking officers who move between agencies in Missouri. Reporting that examined so-called "wandering" officers and transparency gaps explains why advocates say better employment-history data and more rigorous hiring checks are needed, per Invisible Institute.
What’s next
Jurors were hearing testimony in early March 2026, and additional witnesses and evidence are expected as the trial continues this week, according to local coverage. No verdict has been reached, and court calendars indicate proceedings will continue while both criminal and civil matters move forward, reporting shows.
Legal implications
State charges tied to the July 2023 incident have included assault and kidnapping allegations in St. Louis County, and the federal indictment alleges civil-rights violations that carry severe penalties if convictions follow, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Defense lawyers have entered not guilty pleas, and civil litigation seeking damages remains pending as the criminal trials proceed. Observers say the case will be watched locally as a test of oversight, bodycam practice and accountability in small departments.
