Jason Stockley Murder Trial: St. Louis 'On Edge' Amid Ex-Cop's Case

ST. LOUIS, MO — St. Louis remains on pins and needles waiting for a verdict in the murder trial of former police officer Jason Stockley, a white police officer charged with killing Anthony Lamar Smith, who is black.

Mayor Lyda Krewson said the city is "on edge," partly due to a troubled history of injustice in St. Louis and across the country. Activists have threatened civil disobedience if Stockley is acquitted.

"We're all on edge because we have watched, in this country and in our region, that legal decisions can and do result in families and sometimes entire communities being left without a sense of justice," Krewson said in a statement and video. "That can and has resulted in protests and demonstrations." (For more information on Stockley's case and other St. Louis stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Stockley is accused of fatally shooting Smith in 2011. The case was heard last month, but it's unclear when Judge Timothy Wilson will issue a verdict.

The St. Louis region was in the spotlight in 2014 when 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, was fatally shot by white officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting and a grand jury's decision not to indict Wilson led to months of racially charged protests.

"The worry and anxiety we are feeling today is not without cause, and it did not start with Ferguson," Krewson said. "It has its roots in the story of our country. I hope we will all learn more about the laws and policies that closed the doors for some, while leaving them open for others."

Krewson, 64, who is white, was elected earlier this year in part because three black Democratic rivals split the African-American vote. She has pledged to help ease the racial divide in St. Louis, which is nearly evenly split between whites and blacks.

Shortly after her election, Krewson created a position of director of racial equity and priority initiatives. She hired Nicole Hudson, who was previously active in reform efforts in Ferguson.

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press

Photo credit: St. Louis Police Department via AP; St. Louis Police Video obtained by St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP