St. Louis has settled a civil lawsuit between Sheriff Alfred Montgomery and Tammy Ross, the city’s deputy jail commissioner.
The lawsuit stemmed from an incident last February when Montgomery ordered Ross, then-acting Jail Commissioner, handcuffing when his office tried to interview a detainee who’d accused a sheriff’s deputy of sexual assault.
Ross’ attorney, Joe Neill, confirmed the settlement but did not immediately disclose its details. The sheriff's office and the city did not immediately returned requests for comment.
The February handcuffing landed Montgomery in hot water when the federal government charged him with a federal misdemeanor for allegedly violating Ross’ civil rights.
Montgomery allegedly used an undisclosed phone to retaliate against and tamper with federal witnesses — five times. A judge revoked Montgomery’s federal bail over those allegations, and he is in custody in an Illinois jail.
The Missouri Attorney General cited the handcuffing incident as one reason why Montgomery should immediately be removed from office. The results of that week-long trial are in the hands of Circuit Judge Steven R. Ohmer.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
