Rory Bruce, David Wilson: Two Police Offers Charged with Abusing Minors in Custody

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Dan Isom issued a video statement on the department's Facebook page this afternoon announcing that two officers have been charged with Third-Degree Assault for physical abuse of minors who were in their custody. Sure enough, shortly after that link went live, Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce posted the probable cause statements on her department's website. It's a high-tech world we live in, and it's technology that led to both officers being charged.

Rory Bruce was a probationary officer when he picked up a 16-year-old male identified as R.R. for delinquency felony charges in February. While R.R. was handcuffed, Bruce and his partner (also a probationary officer) took him to the rear passenger door, where the car's camera recorded Bruce punching R.R. in the head once. Both Bruce and his unidentified partner have already been dismissed from the police force.

In an unrelated but similar case, Officer David Wilson arrested a 16-year-old male identified as D.B. on delinquency felony charges in January. While R.R. was handcuffed in the cruiser's back seat, the car's camera captured Wilson punching R.R. once in the head. Officer Wilson is currently on administrative duty.

Chief Isom's statement included this closing flourish.

As a Department we must work to protect the rights of all citizens and we will continue to work to root out those individuals who violate the trust of citizens. We will not allow the actions of some to tarnish the reputation of our entire Department.