DOJ: Samuel Davis Sentenced to 10 Years After Turning Off Body-Worn Camera

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that former Northwoods, Missouri police officer Samuel Davis was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for assaulting a handcuffed man in 2023. DOJ says a federal jury found Davis guilty of civil-rights and evidence-integrity offenses tied to his use of force and his handling of the body-worn camera.

What DOJ says happened in 2023

DOJ says Northwoods police were called to a Walgreens on the evening of July 4, 2023, involving C.G., a man accused of shoplifting and trespassing and someone known to Davis. DOJ says Davis handcuffed C.G., who was compliant and cooperative, and then placed him in Davis’ police vehicle.

Instead of taking C.G. to jail, DOJ says Davis turned off his body-worn camera, drove him to an empty field in a desolate area of Kinloch, pepper-sprayed him in the eyes, threw him to the ground, and struck him repeatedly in the body and face with a metal baton—breaking C.G.’s jaw. DOJ says that when Davis spotted a passerby, he shocked C.G. with a Taser and threatened to kill him if he returned to Northwoods.

DOJ also says Davis falsely told his dispatcher that C.G. was not present when he arrived at the Walgreens, and that the victim was left in an isolated area with no cell phone or way to call for help after the beating.

What the jury convicted

According to DOJ, jurors in April found Davis guilty of:

• Deprivation of rights under color of law
• Witness tampering by way of misleading conduct for making a misleading statement to a police dispatcher
• Falsifying records in a federal investigation for turning off his body-worn camera

DOJ says jurors found Davis not guilty of conspiracy. DOJ also says jurors acquitted another former officer, Michael Hill, of all charges.

Why the body-worn camera issue mattered legally

In DOJ’s account, the camera deactivation wasn’t just an after-the-fact detail. DOJ says jurors convicted Davis of falsifying records tied to turning off his body-worn camera and of witness tampering tied to misleading a dispatcher.

For residents, the practical takeaway is straightforward: in federal civil-rights cases, video controls and truthful reporting—especially dispatch communications and incident documentation—can become central evidence, not secondary paperwork.

What to watch next

The July 23 sentencing release focuses on the imposed sentence and does not announce an appeal outcome. The next key steps for this case will be any post-sentencing filings in federal court, and whether the case signals continued DOJ emphasis on evidence-integrity issues alongside allegations of excessive force.

Sources

• U.S. Attorney’s Office (EDMO) — Sentencing press release