Requires the Highway Patrol to investigate any incident occurring in St. Louis city or county in which a law enforcement officer is involved in a shooting or instance resulting in serious bodily harm or death.
Summary
HB 2792 would add a new section to Missouri law requiring the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate certain serious use-of-force incidents in specified large jurisdictions. The bill covers four categories of incidents: shootings of civilians by law enforcement officers, shootings of law enforcement officers by civilians, officer use of force against a civilian resulting in serious bodily injury or death, and civilian use of force against an officer resulting in serious bodily injury or death. The requirement applies in a city not within a county and in counties with more than one million inhabitants, which in practice targets St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
The bill also requires the local law enforcement agency to reimburse the Highway Patrol for expenses incurred in conducting these investigations. In effect, it would shift investigative responsibility for the most serious officer-involved and civilian-on-officer incidents in those jurisdictions from local agencies to the state patrol, while also creating a cost-recovery mechanism for the state.
Impact
HB 2792 would amend Chapter 590, RSMo, by creating section 590.1035 and expanding the Highway Patrol’s mandatory investigative duties in specified jurisdictions. It would affect local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol by centralizing investigations of shootings and serious injury or death incidents involving law enforcement and civilians in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, and by requiring local agencies to pay the Patrol’s investigation costs.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. The bill was ultimately withdrawn in the House, which suggests it did not advance, but the provided materials do not explain whether that was due to policy disagreement, procedural issues, or sponsor decision.
Contention
The main policy issue appears to be the transfer of investigative authority from local agencies to the Highway Patrol for high-profile use-of-force incidents in St. Louis-area jurisdictions. Supporters would likely view the bill as a way to improve neutrality, consistency, and public confidence in investigations, while opponents could object to state intervention in local policing, the limited geographic scope, or the reimbursement requirement imposed on local agencies. Because no transcripts are provided, specific named opponents or supporters are not identified.