Things to know about the case of Missouri prison guards charged with murder in death of a Black man

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Four Missouri prison guards have been charged with murder, and a fifth with accessory to involuntary manslaughter, in the December death of a Black man. The charges were announced Friday. Court records say Othel Moore Jr. was pepper sprayed, had his face covered with a mask and was left in a position that caused him to suffocate while in custody at a correctional facility. Attorneys for Moore’s family say he fell victim to “a system, pattern and practice of racist and unconstitutional abuse in the Missouri Department of Corrections.” The Missouri Department of Corrections says it cooperated with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation and has made policy changes since Moore’s death.