A police officer crashes an SUV into a gay bar. Another officer arrives and handcuffs one of its owners within 22 seconds. Nearly three years later, the city is paying millions to settle the lawsuits that followed. And the courtroom testimony that preceded the deal did not exactly make the police department look good.
The City of St. Louis has agreed to pay $4.2 million to Bar:PM co-owners James Pence and Chad Morris, bringing an end to their separate lawsuits over a December 2023 incident involving a police vehicle crashing into their LGBTQ+ bar and the arrests that followed.
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The settlement was announced on October 28, 2026, after former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer Ramelle Wallace faced questions about his conduct in court. The timing was particularly notable: the agreement came after testimony that brought renewed attention to Wallace’s handling of the incident and his previous disciplinary history.
For the bar owners, the case was about more than a damaged entrance. It was about what happened when they confronted police officers over the crash and whether the response they received was justified.
The Bar:PM Crash Was Only the Beginning
The incident began on December 18, 2023, when a St. Louis police SUV driven by probationary officer Zachary Thompson crashed into Bar:PM.
Thompson later admitted that he had lied about swerving to avoid a dog, an explanation he initially gave to the bar owners and other officers. He also acknowledged driving through red lights and exceeding speed limits before the collision.
But the aftermath brought another confrontation.
Wallace arrived at the scene while working in prisoner transport. After asking Pence for identification and being refused, the interaction escalated rapidly. Pence was handcuffed just 22 seconds after Wallace arrived.
The encounter became a central issue in Pence’s lawsuit, which accused Wallace of assault, battery, and false arrest.
Morris, meanwhile, had his own experience with Wallace. He was arrested and accused of felony assault, with the criminal case eventually dismissed. He separately sued over his arrest and alleged physical abuse.
What should have been an investigation into a police vehicle crashing into a business had become a much bigger dispute over police conduct.
Wallace’s Courtroom Defense Raised More Questions
During the October 27 testimony, Wallace maintained that he had not been angry with Pence when he handcuffed him.
His explanation for his demeanor was: “I was being me.”
That position became harder to reconcile with the bodycam footage presented in court. The recording captured Wallace explaining Pence’s detention to a bystander by saying, “He’s not going to yell at me, it’s causing a disturbance.”
Pence had also told Wallace, “Go back to your little van.”
Wallace’s response? “Make me.”
His attorney’s questions also brought attention to Wallace’s claim that he feared Pence might have a weapon, despite never searching or patting him down.
Wallace further suggested that Pence was feeding off the energy of bystanders and potentially trying to incite a riot. His attorney, Jack Waldron, challenged that explanation, including by pointing out that Wallace had been smoking a cigar while supposedly concerned about the crowd’s behavior.
The testimony gave Pence’s legal team an opportunity to challenge not only the arrest but also Wallace’s credibility.
His Previous Conduct Became Part of the Story
One of the most consequential moments came when Wallace discussed his own record. Asked about an Internal Affairs investigation involving Morris’s arrest, Wallace characterized the city’s investigation as a “witch hunt.”
“I don’t get in trouble,” he said. He quickly added, “A lot.”
The jury subsequently saw footage of a separate confrontation between Wallace and a detainee at the St. Louis City Justice Center. Wallace denied starting the fight but admitted he threw the first punch.
Another Internal Affairs report concerned his arrest of a 17-year-old woman on Bates Street, the same month as the Bar:PM crash. The investigation found that Wallace had used excessive force and made false statements about the incident.
When questioned about its findings, Wallace responded, “I don’t agree with it.”
The material gave the jury a broader picture of the officer whose actions were at the center of Pence’s lawsuit.
The City Is Paying $4.2 Million
The contrast between Wallace and Thompson also became a notable feature of the proceedings.
Thompson acknowledged his mistakes and expressed regret over the crash. He even recognized why Pence might initially have suspected that the collision was intentional, given the history of tension between police and the LGBTQ+ community.
Wallace, by comparison, continued to defend his decisions.
According to Bar:PM’s attorney, Javad Khazaeli, Wallace’s testimony significantly changed the direction of the case. After the settlement was announced, Khazaeli said Wallace had opened the door for the legal team to introduce evidence of his previous conduct.
The agreement covers both Pence’s and Morris’s lawsuits, with the city confirming the $4.2 million settlement. The money will be paid in installments, beginning with $1 million within 30 days of executing the agreement, followed by annual payments and a final $200,000 payment at the beginning of fiscal year 2030.
The settlement means the cases will not proceed to jury verdicts. It does not amount to a jury finding of liability against Wallace.
For Pence and Morris, however, it brings an end to a legal battle that began after their business was struck by a police vehicle and their subsequent confrontations with responding officers.
A police SUV crashing into a gay bar was already an extraordinary incident. Having one of its owners handcuffed almost immediately afterward only made the situation worse.
Now, St. Louis is paying $4.2 million to put the two lawsuits behind it. And while the settlement cannot undo what happened that night, it does bring a significant financial consequence to a case that raised serious questions about how police treated the owners of an LGBTQ+ business.