The city of Lexington, Mississippi, is facing another lawsuit over its police department, just days after reaching a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice requiring reforms to address civil rights violations.
The new lawsuit, filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the ACLU of Mississippi, alleges that a Lexington police officer violated resident Terrance Gypson’s constitutional rights when he recorded police activity in May 2024.
According to Mississippi Today, Gypson, 29, was filming officers from what the lawsuit describes as a safe distance and was not interfering with their work. The complaint alleges that officer Robert Boyd approached Gypson with a Taser, threw him to the ground and arrested him without probable cause.
Police charged Gypson with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was initially found guilty in Lexington Municipal Court, but a Holmes County Circuit Court judge later dismissed the charges with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled.
The legal groups are seeking unspecified compensatory damages, along with changes to department policies and increased oversight.
“Recording the police is a critical tool to ensure that there is a fair record of what happens when police officers interact with the communities they serve,” Christopher Graves, a senior staff attorney with the SPLC, said in a statement. “Mr. Gypson’s right was violated.”
The lawsuit arrives shortly after Lexington and its police department agreed to reforms following a federal investigation into their policing practices. The Justice Department’s 2024 findings report concluded that the department engaged in a pattern of conduct that deprived residents of their constitutional rights.
Federal investigators found that officers disproportionately targeted Black residents, used excessive force, retaliated against people who criticized or recorded police, and jailed people who could not afford to pay fines and fees.
The settlement, announced Oct. 16, requires changes to policies governing arrests, searches, use of force, bail and unpaid fines, among other practices.
“Police have a powerful role in our society. That role must be performed within certain boundaries,” Joshua Tom, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, said in the joint statement. “When those boundaries are broken, police must be held accountable.”
The latest lawsuit presents allegations that will be addressed in court. Lexington and its police department will have an opportunity to respond to the claims.
