A St. Louis jury has awarded $37 million to Tyron Edwards after it found that he was unjustly shot by police as a 14-year-old nearly a decade ago.
The verdict, reached after several hours of deliberation, found former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer Thomas Streckfuss and current officer Ryan Murphy liable for assault, malicious prosecution, and false imprisonment.
Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP, said the jury’s decision stood out in a system where officers are often given the benefit of the doubt.
Jurors determined Edwards was wrongfully shot during an Oct. 2, 2016 encounter and that the officers’ account of the incident led to his arrest and prosecution. Edwards declined an interview with the St. Louis American following the judgement..
The incident began in north St. Louis, where officers were searching for a vehicle believed to be connected to a carjacking. Police approached a group of teenagers outside a school in the Walnut Park East neighborhood and Edward fled on foot.
The pursuit moved from school grounds into a nearby vacant property. It was there that both officers opened fire, striking Edwards in the back.
Police maintained that Edwards was armed and fired at officers during the chase. While a gun was recovered near the scene, Edwards’ counsel argued that he was unarmed.
Attorneys said the weapon found was inoperable, and that no DNA or fingerprint evidence tied it to Edwards.
Attorneys for the officers argued the shooting was justified because they perceived Edwards as an immediate threat. Edwards’ attorneys contended the shooting was unprovoked and that officers later constructed a narrative that was not supported by the evidence.
Jurors ultimately sided with Edwards.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Edwards was hospitalized and later charged with firing at police. He spent time in juvenile detention before being released under supervision. Roughly a year later, the charges were dropped and officers stopped cooperating with prosecutors.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged excessive force and misconduct. It moved between state and federal courts before returning to circuit court for trial. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office represented the officers after taking over legal representation for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department when it returned to state control.
During the trial, jurors were presented with testimony challenging key aspects of the officers’ account, including discrepancies about where and how Edwards was first spotted and pursued. Evidence also included social media posts made by Streckfuss in later years that Edwards’ attorneys argued reflected bias, an assertion he denied in court.
Both officers were also linked to a separate 2016 incident that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old, adding further attention to their records.
Streckfuss resigned from the department in 2020 while under investigation in an unrelated excessive force case. Murphy remains with the department and currently serves as a detective.
Edwards’ case also unfolded against the backdrop of his later involvement in a separate federal case. In 2022, he was sentenced to prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, though that matter was not directly tied to the 2016 shooting.
The $37 million verdict, made up of punitive damages, is among the largest in Missouri tied to a police shooting. If upheld, the city of St. Louis would be responsible for paying the judgment.
In a statement following the verdict, Cara Spencer said, “We understand the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which managed this litigation, is considering legal options, and the City currently awaits learning about these potential next steps.”
Edwards’ attorney Jack Waldron said the jury appeared to focus on Edwards’ age and vulnerability at the time of the shooting, as well as the broader conduct of the officers following the incident. He said the outcome sends a message about accountability, particularly in cases involving use of force against minors and the treatment of individuals after they are injured and taken into custody. He also indicated that an appeal is expected and that the legal team plans to defend the verdict.
Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP, said the jury’s decision stood out in a system where officers are often given the benefit of the doubt.
He said jurors appeared to prioritize forensic evidence over police accounts in reaching their decision.
Pruitt said the Edwards’ case shines light on “the longstanding racial disparities in policing in St. Louis, including higher rates of stops, use of force and fatal encounters involving Black residents.”
Whether large financial judgments against the city and police officers lead to “meaningful reform” is still questionable, according to Pruitt.
“Repeated payouts have not prevented future incidents,” he said.
He and the NAACP are calling for stronger civilian oversight, updated use-of-force policies, and expanded investment in alternatives to policing such as mental health response and violence prevention programs.
Pruitt also suggests that individual officers should bear some personal responsibility through mechanisms such as liability insurance, rather than costs falling entirely on taxpayers.