It was New Year’s Eve 2021, and brothers Robert and Darius Harris were celebrating by popping fireworks in Lexington, Mississippi. However, the night of excitement turned sour when the brothers were allegedly harassed by officers from the local police department.
That night, the cops arrived at Robert’s house, telling the duo that they would arrest them for violating the fireworks ordinance. It prompted the unarmed brothers to resist the threat and ask them to leave before the situation escalated. After Robert held up his hand to deescalate the conflict, Darius was randomly stunned with a Taser in the chest and abdomen, making him fall to the ground.
While Darius was stunned, the officer put a flashlight on his face and ordered him to put his hands behind his back. He was ultimately arrested and taken into custody.
When Robert got to the police station, he was instructed to “leave,” but was also detained and taken to the chief’s office. He was allegedly told “if they kept bumping heads there would be a killing.”
These details stem from allegations included in a 2022 lawsuit filed by several Black residents against the city of Lexington — which has a population of less than 1,500 — and the police department, including its former and interim chiefs of police, Sam Dobbins and Charles Henderson, who both are white. The mayor and other city leaders are also white.
The complaint comes after a slew of complaints about local officials to the agency. The U.S. Department of Justice has now launched an investigation into the city.
Dobbins was present the night of the Harris brothers’ arrest, the lawsuit said. However, things took a turn for the duo again after participating in a “Know Your Rights” meeting on April 7, 2022, that involved the Black community vocalizing their concerns about the police force. The brothers were arrested the next day and charged with marijuana possession and “retaliation against an…
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