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Ramelle Wallace, who arrested the co-owner of popular gay bar Bar:PM in St. Louis after cops crashed into it, no longer works for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
A Missouri police officer who was involved in a controversial arrest of a gay business owner after a police officer struck the establishment with his official SUV is out of a job.
The St. Louis police officer sparked controversy after he arrested Bar:PM co-owner Chad Morris following a police cruiser crash at the LGBTQ+ venue last December is no longer with the department. Officer Ramelle Wallace, who had served 16 years with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, recently parted ways with the force,according toSt. Louis Magazine. It remains unclear whether he was fired or resigned voluntarily.
Related: New video from St. Louis police crash into gay bar shows aggressive officer, raises questions
Wallace’s role in Morris’s arrest and a string of allegations involving misconduct have garnered widespread public attention. Last December, two rookie officers crashed a police SUV into Bar:PM, a popular LGBTQ+ bar in South St. Louis. While Wallace was not in the vehicle, he arrived on the scene shortly after the crash and escalated the situation by handcuffing James Pence, Morris’ husband and co-owner of the bar, within 30 seconds of arriving. When Morris protested his partner’s treatment, Wallace allegedly beat and arrested him.
Morris was initially charged with felony assault and resisting arrest, though those charges were later reduced to misdemeanors. Morris’ attorney, Javad Khazaeli, has strongly criticized Wallace’s actions, calling his conduct unprovoked and excessive.
Related: Police Officers First Crash Their SUV Into St. Louis Gay Bar, Then They Arrest the Bar Owner
Over the years, Wallace has been named in multiple lawsuits accusing him of using excessive force, according to numerous media reports. One case from 2019 involved Wallace allegedly breaking the leg of a bystander during an arrest at an apartment complex, St. Louis Magazine reports. That case was settled out of court earlier this year. Wallace is also the subject of a lawsuit alleging that Wallace assaulted a man while being booked at a St. Louis jail in June 2023.
Khazaeli, who represents Morris and the other man, expressed mixed emotions following Wallace’s departure. “After more than a decade of doing this and filing dozens of lawsuits, I’m glad to see at least one bad officer be forced to resign or be terminated,” Khazaeli told St. Louis Magazine. However, he voiced frustration that Morris is still facing prosecution. “I’m just confused as to why my client is still being prosecuted when Wallace was the initiator, and everyone knows it,” he said.
Despite Wallace’s departure from the department, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has not commented on whether his departure will affect the ongoing case against Morris.
Related: Headaches continue for St. Louis gay bar after cops crashed SUV into building
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s explanations regarding the crash at Bar:PM have also raised questions. Police initially claimed that the officer driving the cruiser was distracted by adjusting the car’s radio, while other reports suggest the officer swerved to avoid a dog. No toxicology test was administered to the officer driving the vehicle, which has only fueled further skepticism about how the case was handled.
The Advocate contacted Khazaeli for additional comment, but he did not respond by the time of publication.
