To: St. Louis County Police Association
This police union wants dangerous cops back on the streets. Demand they stop.
Officers Alex Maloy and Mark Jakob are a danger to public safety, and we demand that you stop trying to put them back on the police force. They recklessly chased a car in violation of department policy, resulting in the deaths of two Black men, then left the scene without helping, and lied to investigators to cover up their actions. By continuing to demand the reinstatement of dangerous and dishonest officers, the St. Louis County Police Association is showing it will defend officers no matter what they do, and exposing itself as an obstacle to good policing, accountability, and justice.
Why is this important?
The reckless actions of St. Louis County police officers Alex Maloy and Mark Jakob killed two Black men, beloved community members Mikel Neil and Townsal Woolfolk. Then they lied about it to investigators. They’re exactly the kind of officers who shouldn’t have a badge and gun, and the police chief decided to fire them. So why is the local police union fighting to put them back on the police force? It’s another example of police unions defending officers and shielding them from accountability no matter what they do.
On August 10, officers Alex Maloy and Mark Jakob started chasing a car after it allegedly ran a red light, going against department policy that prohibits car chases unless there’s a serious crime. Witnesses say that the high-speed chase resulted in the police car ramming a car, causing it to spin out of control and crash. The two men inside were killed, and the officers left the scene without helping or reporting what had happened.
For months, the police department denied that the car chase happened. We organized to demand the truth and keep a spotlight on this case, and we were able to obtain two videos from surveillance cameras that clearly show the police car chasing another car at high speed, with its lights flashing. These videos forced the police to admit that officers Maloy and Jakob tried to cover up the truth, and the department fired them.
But now, the St. Louis County Police Association -- a chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police -- is attacking that decision, and fighting to have these officers reinstated. This is the same union that failed to protect Nikki Brown, a Black officer who complained about discrimination within the department.
Because the community organized for truth and justice, officers Maloy and Jakob were fired. But if the police union succeeds, these dangerous officers will be back on the streets. Police unions often succeed in reinstating abusive and corrupt officers after the community’s attention has moved on. It’s a key part of how police unions block accountability. We can’t let that happen here.
If enough of us call out the police union, we can expose their attempt to block accountability, making it harder for them to get bad cops back on the force, in this case, and in the future. After you sign the petition, we’ll follow up with other ways to increase the pressure on the police union and push for justice in this case.
On August 10, officers Alex Maloy and Mark Jakob started chasing a car after it allegedly ran a red light, going against department policy that prohibits car chases unless there’s a serious crime. Witnesses say that the high-speed chase resulted in the police car ramming a car, causing it to spin out of control and crash. The two men inside were killed, and the officers left the scene without helping or reporting what had happened.
For months, the police department denied that the car chase happened. We organized to demand the truth and keep a spotlight on this case, and we were able to obtain two videos from surveillance cameras that clearly show the police car chasing another car at high speed, with its lights flashing. These videos forced the police to admit that officers Maloy and Jakob tried to cover up the truth, and the department fired them.
But now, the St. Louis County Police Association -- a chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police -- is attacking that decision, and fighting to have these officers reinstated. This is the same union that failed to protect Nikki Brown, a Black officer who complained about discrimination within the department.
Because the community organized for truth and justice, officers Maloy and Jakob were fired. But if the police union succeeds, these dangerous officers will be back on the streets. Police unions often succeed in reinstating abusive and corrupt officers after the community’s attention has moved on. It’s a key part of how police unions block accountability. We can’t let that happen here.
If enough of us call out the police union, we can expose their attempt to block accountability, making it harder for them to get bad cops back on the force, in this case, and in the future. After you sign the petition, we’ll follow up with other ways to increase the pressure on the police union and push for justice in this case.