Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Detained Men
Marcellis Blackwell, a former North County Police Cooperative officer, has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually assaulting 18 men he had detained while on duty. The assaults occurred in north St. Louis County, with many victims handcuffed and taken…
St. Louis, MO, August 10, 2026 —
Marcellis Blackwell, a former officer with the North County Police Cooperative, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for sexually assaulting 18 men. The assaults are reported to have occurred while Blackwell was on duty and had detained the individuals. These incidents took place in north St. Louis County, with many of the victims being handcuffed and transported to different locations before the assaults occurred.
The former officer is also facing separate state charges related to these events, as well as civil lawsuits filed by the victims. In addition to the legal proceedings, Blackwell’s police license has been suspended.
Details regarding the specific timeline of the assaults and the exact dates of the plea were not immediately available. The investigation into these actions led to the federal charges, culminating in the guilty plea. The extent of the damages sought in the civil lawsuits has also not been fully disclosed.
Story summarized from the original created by Rachel Lippmann on www.stlpr.org, see more information here.
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