Police Misconduct

Former Florissant, Mo., police officer Julian Alcala pleaded guilty Tuesday to 20 federal counts of willfully depriving women of their right to be free from unreasonable searches after he took their phones during traffic stops in early 2024 and searched for nude images. Prosecutors said he sometimes texted explicit videos to himself; the FBI traced a victim’s deleted text to Alcala and seized additional evidence under a warrant. A felony obstruction count was dropped in the plea deal; sentencing is set for March 11, 2026.