Sr. Louis Potice OrFicERs’ AssociATION Ay FRATERNAL ORDER OF PoLicE - LopGE 68 “S2P) SEROETTA MEDIA RELEASE For Comments Call Jeff Roorta 314-353-3200 Police Union Calls Charges Against Two Officers an Abuse of Power, Demands Gardner Step Aside St.Louis, Missouri (January 29, 2019) ~ The St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA) called charges filed against two St. Louis Police Officers by Circuit Allornay Kim Gardner's Office “an unprecedented abuso of power." The two officers were charged related to an off-duty incident from April of 2018 where one officer was shot and the second officer fred on the assailant critically wounding him, Two other off-duty officers witnessed the shooting and gave statements in the matter. Video surveillance of the parking lot also confirmed the four officers’ accounts of the events, ‘The Police Department's elite Force investigative Unit sought charges against the officers assailant. But, n a stunning move Monday, Gardner charged the two offcars with multiple felonies including Assault in the First Degree. 'SLPOA Business Manager Jeff Roorda, said he was “astounded” by Gardner's move. “Kim Gardner has disregarded the statements of four police officers, video evidence and forensic evidence and instead decided to take the word of a would-be cop-killr who the police department describes as a known gang member and charged the victims in this cre. Roorda pointed-out that Gardner is under investigation for suborning perjury in the Greitens investigation and noted that the police ‘union has called for a criminal invastigation into her misuse of campaign funds. “Hore we have @ prosecutor desporately trying to distract public tfention from her own troubles. She is under Grand Jury investigation for subomning penuuty of one of her investigators ‘and now she has enticed testimony against police officers who were the victims of attempted murder. Of course he's going (o lie.” Roorda continued, “Until Gardner is cleared of suspicion, she should step down and hand the reins over to a credible prosecutor who has the interests of justice at heart.” St. Lours Potice Orricers’ ASSOCIATION FRATERNAL ORDER OF PoLice - LopcE 68 “SSP