After a months-long probe, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced findings on Thursday alleging that a Mississippi police department violated the constitutional rights of its citizens in a majority-black town an hour north of Jackson, Mississippi.
According to the DOJ, the Lexington Police Department (LPD) unlawfully used excessive force, conducted illegal searches and seizures, detained people under “investigative holds” without probable cause, and discriminated against black people.
The investigation began in November 2023 with the cooperation of the LPD, the DOJ said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the LPD “abandoned its sacred position of trust” by infringing on the “constitutional rights of those it was sworn to protect.”…