The incident began when Sterling Lester Chest Jr. shouted something about the Bible and ran through traffic, prompting a concerned acquaintance to call Springfield police due to worries about his mental health. This event on March 30, 2020, is believed by Chest’s sister to have contributed to his death, a situation reflecting broader issues of Black men in mental distress facing alleged police brutality.
In March 2023, Keely Charles, Chest’s sister and representative of his estate, sued the City of Springfield and four officers (Joseph Beliveau, Lindsay Tagliapietra, Luis Delgado, and Kristopher Carr) in U.S. District Court, accusing them of excessive force and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some claims in the lawsuit were dismissed due to a state law granting immunity to the defendants.
The city's lawyer, Tyler James Kenefick, is defending the allegations but couldn't comment further. Plaintiff's lawyer, Christopher F. Cava, didn't respond to media inquiries.
On the incident day, Chest was in a car near Forest Park and Six Corners, displaying signs of paranoia. Initially, interactions with police were calm, as surveillance footage shows Chest talking with officers and even accepting water from them. However, the situation escalated, leading to police using a stun gun on Chest and struggling to get him into a cruiser. He was later hospitalized and died on April 3, 2020, of cardiac tamponade following a heart attack, aggravated by the physical altercation with police.
Chest, known as "Duggie," was a Louisiana native, a certified nursing assistant, and truck driver who moved to Springfield for family. His obituary describes him as a loving, caring man who enjoyed Creole food and Jordan shoes.
The lawsuit contends that police discriminated against Chest, who was obese and had mental health issues, by neglecting his medical needs. The city, however, denies any wrongdoing, asserting that the police actions were in self-defense and according to department rules. The court has allowed the excessive force and ADA violation claims to proceed, but dismissed others, including a wrongful death count, citing police immunity under state law.
The case raises broader issues about police use of force and how mental health crises are handled, especially following a 2017 Reuters investigation highlighting stun gun-related deaths, and the city’s own challenges with police use of force, leading to a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. The case continues in court for further proceedings.
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