Former St. Louis officer acquitted of raping another officer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A jury on Thursday found a former St. Louis police officer not guilty of raping a fellow officer at another officer’s home more than a decade ago.

Torey Phelps, 39, was acquitted of forcible rape after his attorneys argued at trial that the sex was consensual and the woman made up the stories when she became the subject of rumors at work.

The woman alleged that she was unconscious after a night at a strip club in 2010 with Phelps and another officer, 39-year-old Lafeal Lawshea. She said they went to Lawshea’s home and she awoke to find Phelps on top of her, with Lawshea in the room.

Phelps testified the woman came into a room where he was sleeping and initiated sex with him.

The woman reported the encounter to an investigator in 2020 and received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lawshea is scheduled for trial in February on two counts of forcible rape and a misdemeanor count of tampering with a witness.