FERGUSON, Mo. – One of the individuals charged with property damage to the Ferguson Police Department Friday night is a member of St. Louis’ Police Civilian Oversight Board (COB). He’s also a Democratic National Convention delegate.
Three St. Louis Aldermen have now signed a letter calling on Keith Rose to be removed from his COB post. The board reviews allegations of St. Louis Police misconduct.
Police released a video they say shows Rose and other demonstrators shaking the automatic gate outside the department and minutes later breaking off a bottom portion of the gate during a protest marking 10 years since the Ferguson Police killing of Michael Brown. The gate incident occurred shortly before Ferguson Officer Travis Brown was knocked to the ground by a protester, causing a critical brain injury he is currently battling.
St. Louis Aldermen Bret Narayn, Laura Keys, and Tom Oldenburg have now signed a letter to the COB chairman, calling on Rose to either immediately resign or be removed.
“What we saw is what’s always couched and told to us in a narrative of peaceful protesting,” Oldenburg said. “It turned violent with destroying of property and a serious injury to a police officer.”
Rose’s attorney says Rose is innocent and faced a bogus criminal charge in Ferguson years ago for “his use of Crayola chalk on a sidewalk…We are confident that we will prevail again, like we did last time. Our thoughts are with the officer who was injured.”
Rose is also among 84 people to split a nearly $5 million settlement with the City of St. Louis for alleged police mistreatment, which stemmed from a 2017 protest against an officer’s acquittal after a drug suspect was shot and killed.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, who appointed Rose to the COB, says he has agreed to recuse himself from all board activity aside from training, pending the outcome of this current criminal case in Ferguson.
The aldermen signing the letter say that’s not enough.
“When it rises to a level of those allegations, I think it’s time for you to either resign or be removed,” Oldenburg said.
Rose is also an uncommitted alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention next week. He does not support Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
A spokeswoman for the Missouri Democratic Party released the following statement Tuesday night:
“The Missouri Democratic Party condemns the violence that critically injured Officer Travis Brown and we send our thoughts and well wishes to Officer Brown and his family. While the right to engage in peaceful assembly is fundamental to our democracy, violence is never acceptable. Upon learning of the charges against uncommitted alternate Keith Rose, the Missouri Democratic Party began to investigate the matter and is in discussions regarding the appropriate next steps. We’re looking forward to representing Missouri in Chicago with our diverse pool of over 70 delegates next week.“
