Two Mississippi Capitol Police officers have been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Jaylen Lewis, 25, in 2022.
Stephen Frederick Jr., a former Mississippi Capitol Police officer, and Michael Rhinewalt, an officer on unpaid administrative leave, were charged by a Hinds County grand jury last month.
The guys opened fire on Lewis while executing a traffic check on September 25, 2022. The details of the encounter are vague because the event report was redacted, but Lewis’ death certificate said that he was shot in the head.
Although Frederick and Rhinewalt claimed they responded with gunshot in self-defense, the grand jury determined it was “not a reasonable belief under the circumstances,” according to a copy of the indictment obtained by NBC News.
Lewis was the father of two children, ages four and two.
The Independent has asked the Hinds County District Attorney for a copy of the indictment.
The Capitol Police are part of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Their primary mission is to protect life and property within the Capitol Complex. However, in 2022, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves formed a new task force to battle crime in the state capital.
Rhinewalt, Frederick, and other Capitol Police officers were conducting a drug-related operation on the night of the shooting. According to NBC News, the officers witnessed a white Jeep Grand Cherokee run a red light and opened fire as they attempted to stop it.
Lewis’ mother, Arkela Lewis, had stated that her son was being trailed by a white police in an unmarked car until one of the officers shot him in the head during a traffic stop.
According to Mississippi Today, when Arkela Lewis learned about the indictment, she said, “I could jump for joy.”
Rhinewalt and former officer Jeffrey Walker were indicted in January on two counts of aggravated assault. The two are accused of using excessive force on a lady during a traffic encounter in 2022. The woman had a gunshot wound to the head.