Officer kidnapped man arrested at Walgreens and left him ‘bloody and wounded,’ cops say

UPDATE: A second Northwoods Police Officer has been charged after a man was found with serious injuries in the remote area of a Missouri town, authorities said.

Michael Hill, 51, was Samuel Davis’ supervising officer, and they both took the man into custody at a Walgreens store, according to a probable cause statement from the St. Louis County Police Department.

“After Victim was handcuffed in the back of Davis’ patrol car, (Hill) returned to the store and made an incriminating statement to a store employee regarding what would happen to the victim,” authorities said. “Hill never activated his body camera. Neither Davis nor Hill informed the dispatcher they had a suspect in custody. Neither wrote a report about either the incident at the Walgreens, or the later incident where Davis beat the victim with a baton in a remote area of Kinloch, causing serious physical injuries including a broken jaw.”

The original story is below.

A Missouri officer kidnapped and assaulted a man he arrested at Walgreens, then he fled the state, authorities said.

Now, the 26-year-old Northwoods cop has been arrested in Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to a news release from the St. Louis County Police Department. The man, identified as Samuel Davis, is charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and second-degree kidnapping and will be extradited back to Missouri.

In a probable cause statement, investigators said someone called 911 after finding a man “bloody and wounded” in Kinloch.

The victim reported an officer, later identified as Davis, arrested him at a Walgreens in Northwoods on July 4, according to the statement.

The man was handcuffed in the back of Davis’ police car, police said, and then Davis deactivated his body camera.

Davis did not tell dispatch he had a suspect in custody, authorities said, and instead drove the man to a “remote location” in Kinloch.

“There, the officer pepper sprayed the victim, struck him repeatedly with a baton, and ordered him not to return to the City of Northwoods,” police said.

He was later found with “serious physical injuries resulting from the Defendant’s assault with the baton, including a broken jaw,” according to the probable cause statement.

The 911 caller provided eyewitness details “consistent” with the victim’s statement, police said.

Investigators said Davis did not write a report on the arrest at Walgreens or the assault in Kinloch.

On July 14, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued an “at large” warrant on Davis, officials said. Davis was arrested on July 17.

Once back in Missouri, he’ll be held on a $750,000 cash-only, no 10% bond.

Authorities have not said if Davis and the victim knew each other prior to the incident.

Davis is no longer employed by the Northwoods Police Department following an administrative investigation, according to a statement sent to McClatchy News.

“These types of allegations and charges do not represent acceptable conduct of law enforcement professionals who serve appropriately and honorably,” Chief of Police Col. Dennis Shireff said in the statement. “The Northwoods Police Department continues to safeguard against bias, perceived bias, or any appearance of bias that could impact justice being served. As police officers, we uphold the ideals of serving and protecting in our thoughts as well as in our actions.

“Words can barely begin to express the disappointment and the failure of what appears to be a reckless disregard for the humane treatment of others and the solemn duties of a law enforcement officer,” he continued. “With ongoing community support and meaningful partnerships, our accredited department continues to work towards being better every day.”

Shireff said the department “remains committed to identifying areas of improvement in the hiring, appointing, training, and appointing competent, capable, and compassionate staff who dedicate themselves to diligently serving the community.”

Northwoods and Kinloch are part of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Officer kidnapped man arrested at Walgreens and left him ‘bloody and wounded,’ cops say."