St. Louis County officers ordered to get vaccine shots

CLAYTON, Mo. -- The acting head of St. Louis County police has issued an order saying all officers must follow a county mandate to either get the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.

The order was issued even though an officer has filed a lawsuit challenging whether the county's mandate should apply to the police department, which is primarily governed by its chief and the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners.

Officer Jared Lindeman's request for a temporary restraining order argued the County Council and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page don't have the authority alone to place requirements on officers, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

A planned Friday hearing on Lindeman's request was canceled after acting St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory issued his order. Lindeman's attorney, Christopher Graville, said he is weighing how to proceed with Lindeman's lawsuit after the order.

Lindeman, who has been with the force since 2008, contracted COVID-19 in October 2020 and recovered from it but has not been vaccinated, according to court documents.

The county police union, the St. Louis County Police Association, opposes extending the vaccine requirement to police.