DOJ Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Rural Mississippi Police Department

The DOJ, she said, will protect the rights of residents in all, whether they live in rural communities or large cities.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (Left) looks on as Kristen Clarke delivers remarks after being nominated to be civil rights division assistant attorney general, in Wilmington, Delaware, on Jan. 07, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the police department in Lexington, Mississippi, based on allegations of “systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law.”

The DOJ said it will investigate the Lexington Police Department’s (LPD) policies and procedures—such as its use of force, stops and searches, and arrests—to determine whether the procedures are violations of civil rights.