A 20-year-veteran on the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of St. Louis alleging that he was repeatedly discriminated against for being black and Muslim. Amir Muhammed, who had been a St. Louis city officer since 1998, filed the lawsuit in August and retired this month.
The lawsuit details various incidents when black officers were allegedly called the n-word and threatened with physical harm and when white officers allegedly said they didn’t want to ride in the same cars with “n–gers.” It states that a black officer allegedly received a note in his locker that said the white officers wouldn’t come to his aid if he were in trouble.
“This ongoing and pervasive racially and religiously hostile environment has caused the plaintiff tremendous anxiety and stress,” the lawsuit states.
A spokesman said the city does not have a comment on the pending litigation.
In February 2015, Muhammed was transferred from District 6 to District 5, the lawsuit states. On his first day, his direct supervisor, Sgt. James Clark, allegedly told Muhammed that Clark had received a call from his boss, Lt. John Applegate, informing him that “he and his other officers had concerns about the plaintiff being part of the platoon because of his religion, Muslim,” the suit states.
In May 2015, Muhammed changed his legal name from Stanford Willis to Amir Muhammed. His new superior, Sgt. Michael Scego, who is white, allegedly refused to respect Muhammed’s new name, saying “him” instead of his name during roll call and on duty, the suit alleges. Then-Police Officer Milton Green – a black man who was shot by a white officer in June 2017 and has not been able to report back to duty because of his injury – allegedly told Muhammed that Scego had tried to dig up dirt on Muhammed to get him disciplined, the lawsuit states.
On October 6, 2016, St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder was shot and killed while on duty. Shortly thereafter, police officers in St. Louis city wore patches to mourn his death. Muhammed claims he did not receive a patch to wear that morning. Two white officers allegedly approached him later, claiming he was “acting like Colin Kaepernick” and not supporting his fellow officers.
These are just a few of the many accounts that Muhammed details in his lawsuit. His allegations go further, providing an account of the department’s racial tensions.
Muhammed alleges that there are officers who regularly use the n-word on the job, citing a white man identified as Officer Skalzone. Skalzone is known, according to the lawsuit, to rough up black residents so often that black officers avoid riding with him.
Muhammed alleges that during roll call officers would often be told to arrest black residents, specifically. At times Muhammed alleges that officers were directed to “get these jobless shitheads off the corner,” alongside other racist remarks allegedly directed at black families and neighborhoods in St. Louis.
Muhammed alleges that a fellow black officer received a note in his locker that read: “You black ass n*****. We want you out of our station. We want your black ass DEAD. F–k your medals. If an aid call comes out for you we won’t respond. KILL YOURSELF N***** OR WE WILL.” The letter allegedly was signed, “South Patrol.”
Muhammed claims he was notified of the incident by his colleague for his own safety and claims in the lawsuit that to his knowledge no officers have been disciplined for the letter.
Muhammed describes an alleged scene from March of 2016 with a white officer, Sgt. Michael Sisco. Upon arriving, Muhammed claims he found a gun behind a dumpster and shortly after, a black man walked by the officers. Muhammed alleges that Sgt. Sisco insisted – without evidence, witnesses, or victims – that the black man be charged in relation to the firearm. When he refused to do so, Muhammed claims, Sgt. Sisco found another officer to write up a false report. Muhammed claims he filed a formal complaint about the incident.
Muhammed alleges that Sisco later said that he was “sick and tired of riding around with n******,” with regard to having black officers as his partners. Muhammed claims he went on to report several instances thereafter of calling for backup and being ignored by officers.
Prior to filing a federal lawsuit, Muhammed claims he previously filed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints. He said he also complained, orally, of these incidents to upper chains of command and received no response.
Last month the case was transferred from state to federal court.
