By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Senior National
Correspondent
Mississippi civil rights lawyer Jill Collen Jefferson found herself on the wrong side of the law after recording a traffic stop involving officers from the very police department she is suing in federal court.
The arrest has drawn attention to the ongoing struggle for justice and police reform in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the nation.
Jefferson, president of JULIAN, a prominent civil rights organization, had filed a federal lawsuit against the Lexington Police Department on behalf of a group of city residents just last year.
Her attorney, Michael Carr, revealed that Jefferson was apprehended late Saturday evening, June 10, while documenting officers’ actions during a routine traffic stop.
Despite numerous attempts to obtain comments from the Lexington Police Department, they have failed to respond to comment requests.
The incident occurred merely nine days after Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division visited Lexington to engage with community members regarding allegations of police brutality within the small town.
A lawsuit in which Jefferson is a plaintiff, alleges that Black residents in Lexington, a small Mississippi town about 63 miles north of Jackson, have been subjected to false arrests, excessive force, and intimidation, causing them to feel “terrorized” by the police.
In their legal action, JULIAN sought a temporary restraining order against the Lexington police department to secure protection for the town’s predominantly Black population.
Jefferson has repeatedly emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that it is both morally unacceptable and unlawful for Lexington residents to experience such fear and terror from the very police department entrusted with their protection. Jefferson urged the intervention of both the courts and the Department of Justice without delay.
Jefferson’s lawsuit exposed a disturbing pattern of false arrests, excessive force, and intimidation by the police against the residents of Lexington, her attorney insisted.
“As an advocate for her clients, Jill Jefferson firmly believes that this systematic misconduct has plagued the citizens of Lexington,” Carr stated.
“Through her ordeal, she aims to bring to light the corrupt practices that have tainted this city, possibly inspiring a nationwide reckoning.”
According to Carr, Jefferson complied with the officer’s request to provide identification and questioned why she was approached while filming on a public street.
However, she was swiftly arrested and charged with three misdemeanors: failure to comply, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Jefferson remained in custody at the Holmes County Jail over the weekend, awaiting a court hearing.
Following negotiations, Police Chief Charles Henderson eventually agreed to release her without requiring a bond.
However, Jefferson adamantly refused to pay the $35 processing fee that the jail demanded to secure her release because she thought her arrest was unfair and unconstitutional.
Her attorney noted that the incident further underscores the urgent need for comprehensive police reform and the significance of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
