Ex-St. Louis Cop Dustin Boone Sentenced in Civil Rights Violation

Former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer Dustin Boone, 37, of St. Louis, Missouri, is headed to federal prison for his role in a violent assault on an undercover officer during the 2017 Jason Stockley protests — a brutal act that crossed the line from law enforcement into criminal conspiracy. Boone was sentenced to twelve months and one day by United States District Court Judge E. Richard Webber, marking a rare accountability moment in a case that laid bare the rot of blue-on-blue violence and cover-up.

Boone was convicted in June following a nine-day trial that exposed how he actively aided former officer Randy Hays in the physical assault of undercover detective Luther Hall, who was monitoring the protests sparked by the acquittal of ex-officer Jason Stockley. The attack wasn’t spontaneous — evidence showed coordination, with Boone helping to identify and corner Hall amid the chaos, enabling a beating under the thin disguise of police duty.

Hall, working undercover, was not only betrayed by the badge but targeted by it. Prosecutors laid out how Boone, sworn to uphold the law, instead used his authority to facilitate a civil rights violation under color of law — a federal offense that carries serious prison time. The courtroom heard testimony detailing the assault, with graphic evidence of the violence inflicted on Hall while he was off-duty and in plain clothes.

Randy Hays, the primary aggressor, had already pleaded guilty and is serving a 52-month sentence. Bailey Colletta, another officer involved, copped to lying to a federal grand jury and walked away with probation — a slap on the wrist that underscores the uneven pursuit of justice. Meanwhile, Christopher Myers’ case remains unresolved, still dangling in the federal docket.

The FBI led the investigation, peeling back layers of silence and loyalty oaths to uncover the truth behind the assault. Federal prosecutors emphasized that no officer is above the Constitution — a message sent loud and clear with Boone’s conviction and incarceration. The case has reignited scrutiny over police conduct during civil unrest and internal accountability within the St. Louis department.

Dustin Boone now begins a 12-month-and-one-day federal sentence — a fall from power that proves even those sworn to protect can become perpetrators. As protests continue to test the boundaries of law enforcement, the Hall assault stands as a grim reminder: when the thin blue line turns red, justice must still be served.