Attorneys for the Missouri cops who arrested a Black man for shoplifting in 2023 claimed they were doing him a favor by beating, tasering, and pepper-spraying him before abandoning him with a broken jaw in a remote field — describing it as a “courtesy ride” — because they did not transport h im to jail. But had it not been for a witness who called 911, Charles Garmon would likely have choked to death on his own blood, according to testimony from a police officer earlier this month. Charles Garmon, left, was arrested for shoplifting, but instead of transporting him to jail, Missouri police officer Samuel Davis, right, drove him to a remote field and nearly killed him under the supervision of Michael Hill, center. (Photo: KSDK-TV and St. Louis County) Northwoods police officer Samuel Davis ended up arrested on felony kidnapping and assault charges ten days later for beating Garmon with a metal baton. His supervisor, Michael Hill, was arrested four days later for his involvement in the alleged kidnapping. Earlier this month, a federal jury convicted Davis of violating Garmon’s civil rights. The former cop who is awaiting sentencing is facing up to 30 years in federal prison. The same federal jury acquitted Hill. Both former cops are still facing state-level felony kidnapping charges. ‘A Really Sick Individual’: After Florida Mother Pulled Teen from School, Bully Found Him on the Road, Ran Him Over and Killed Him, Family Says Meanwhile, Garmon, 58, who filed a lawsuit in 2023, needs to wait until the state-level cases against both cops have been resolved to proceed with the civil case.  “We’ve been ready to go since we filed this,” Garmon’s attorney, Kevin Carnie of Simon Law, told KSDK-TV. The pending lawsuit accuses the city of Northwoods and its leaders of routinely taking suspects outside of city limits to beat and torture them rather than take them to jail. “For several years, Police in the City of Northwoods have regularly taken detained citizens outside the jurisdiction of the City of Northwoods for the purpose of harming them, allowing others to harm them, or to punish the detained citizen,” states the complaint. Northwoods is a majority-Black municipality in St. Louis County that is less than one-square mile in size with a population of less than 4,000 people, according to the 2000 census. ‘Courtesy Ride’ It was July 4, 2023, when the Northwoods police officers responded to a call about Garmon shoplifting from a local Walgreens, according to the lawsuit, which states the cops turned off their body cameras before handcuffing Garmon and placing him in the back of a patrol car. Hill then walked back into the Walgreens to inform an employee that Garmon would be beaten. Hill then ordered Davis to transport Garmon outside of city limits. “Hill was exercising final policymaking authority, delegated to him by the City on the issue of where to take detainees, when he directed Davis to take Garmon outside the City of Northwoods to commit the unconstitutional acts described herein against Garmon,” states the claim. The claim states that Davis drove Garmon to Kinloch, another majority-Black municipality that is even smaller than Northwoods. “Once at the location, Davis pepper-sprayed and repeatedly beat Garmon with a baton while he was still handcuffed,” the claim states.  “Following the assault, Davis told Garmon not to return to Northwoods and left him alone in the field.” Meanwhile, a woman named Kenik Williams testified in court earlier this month that she was driving through the area when she spotted a cop standing over what appeared to be a red bag before driving away in a hurry, according to KTVI-TV. Williams told the jury that when she went to investigate, she found Garmon beaten and bloodied and called 911. St. Louis County police officer Ryan Wilson responded to the call, finding Garmon choking on his own blood, according to his testimony to the jury in the same hearing. The jury also watched footage from his body camera showing him rolling Garmon over to keep him from choking on his own blood. But Davis’ attorney, Neil Bruntrager, told the jury the officer was doing him a favor by not taking Garmon to jail, describing it as a courtesy ride, claiming that is what Garmon had asked for. Hill’s attorney, Travis Noble, also described it as a courtesy ride, telling the jury that Garmon told the cops he knew people in Kinloch. The defense attorneys also claimed the reason the cops did not have their body cameras activated was that “there was a big storm a few days prior that knocked out power at the station and kept police equipment from being properly charged,” KTVI-TV reported. Garmon’s lawsuit accuses the former cops of violating his Fourth and 14th Amendment rights through illegal seizure, kidnapping, and excessive force, and accuses the city of negligent training and supervision. ‘Hill and Davis neither reported taking Garmon into custody, nor filed a police report about the incident,” the claim states. “Hill and Davis lied to investigators following Garmon’s beating to cover up their conspiracy.” Davis’ next hearing is on March 27, while Hill’s next hearing is May 1, according to online court records.  ‘Courtesy Ride’: Missouri Cops Claim They Were Doing Black Man a Favor By Nearly Killing Him Instead of Transporting Him to Jail for Shoplifting ...read more read less