Justice probe finds pervasive abuse and discrimination by police in small Mississippi city
A Justice Department investigation has found that police in a majority-Black Mississippi city discriminate against Black people, use excessive force and retaliate against people who criticize them
WASHINGTON (AP) — Police in a majority-Black Mississippi city discriminate against Black people, use excessive force and retaliate against critics, the Justice Department said Thursday in a scathing report detailing a slew of civil rights abuses by law enforcement in one of America's poorest counties.
The Lexington Police Department “has created a system where officers can relentlessly violate the law," according to the Justice Department, which found a stunning pattern of racially disparate policing and harassment in the rural town of about 1,200 people, approximately 76% of whom are Black.
The report paints a picture of a police department that has routinely violated the rights of residents with impunity, using arrests for low-level offenses to generate money for the police force and leaving people to languish behind bars if they couldn't afford to pay fines. Officers also sexually harassed women and threatened people with force or arrest if they challenged law enforcement, according to the report.
“Today’s findings show that the Lexington Police Department abandoned its sacred position of trust in the community by routinely violating the constitutional rights of those it was sworn to protect,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
