Police put black residents of Mississippi county in ‘permanent state of seige’ ‒ lawsuit

‘A class-action lawsuit against the wealthiest county in Mississippi describes racially-motivated policing by the local sheriff’s department that often results in violent terrorization of black residents, placing them in a “permanent state of siege.”
The federal lawsuit alleges that the Madison County Sheriff’s Department (MCSD) runs unconstitutional policing operations – including an aggressive “checkpoint” regime – disproportionately directed at the black population in the highly-segregated county near the state’s capital, Jackson. The suit was filed by the ACLU of Mississippi and others on Monday against the MCSD, Sheriff Randall Tucker and the county itself.
The MCSD “implements a coordinated top-down program of methodically targeting Black individuals for suspicionless searches and seizure” while in their cars, walking in their neighborhoods or while in their own homes, the complaint says. Unjustified and excessive force are routine occurrences during MCSD policing actions during these searches and seizures, the lawsuit added.’
Read more: Police put black residents of Mississippi county in ‘permanent state of seige’ ‒ lawsuit