LEXINGTON, MS.–The US Department of Justice (DOJ) determined both the City of Lexington Mississippi and Lexington Police Department routinely violated the civil rights of Black citizens in the community.
A year after launching a “pattern or practice” investigation into the police, the DOJ found Lexington police had unlawfully jailed people based on fines, regularly used excessive force on Black people, and retaliated against people who criticized the police.
The investigation also found the small city of roughly 1,200 people had unlawfully based the department’s funding on LPD fines and fees, which totaled more than $1.7 million.
“After an extensive review, we found that police officers in Lexington routinely make illegal arrests, use brutal and unnecessary force, and punish people for their poverty — including by jailing people who cannot afford to pay fines or money bail,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Thursday.
In one example, the DOJ said Lexington police broke down a man’s door to arrest him for swearing at a public official. In another case, police followed a man, broke down his door and tased him for 15 seconds for having a tinted window.
DOJ says Lexington police cooperating with investigation
The investigation comes two years after the DOJ filed a brief in federal court stating judges, prosecutors and police violate the Constitution when they’re motivated by profit father than justice.
“Police have the authority to enforce the law, not to act as debt collectors for the City, extracting payments from the poor with threats of jail,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has launched investigations into police departments at a higher rate than previous years, including in Memphis–after the police beating of Tyre Nichols–, and Oklahoma City for its treatment of people with mental health issues.
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Years after the high-profile police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Justice in Policing Act remains stalled in Congress. On the federal level, Biden has taken executive action to limit the use of chokeholds and establish a database on police misconduct.
As states continue to turn blind eyes to police misconduct, the DOJ’s announcement regarding Lexington police highlights the important role of federal action.
