A woman rejected a settlement from Mississippi’s capital city after the public disclosure of the amount that would be paid to her family for the death of her brother, George Robinson, who died in January 2019 following an encounter with three Jackson police officers. The City Council approved a payment of $17,786 to settle the lawsuit filed by Robinson’s relatives, including his sister Bettersten Wade, in October 2019. The settlement was not an admission of liability by the city or the three officers involved in the incident. Wade’s attorney stated that the city’s public disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement and indicated that the family intends to continue suing the city.
The lawsuit alleged that the three officers had brutally beaten Robinson, who had not committed any crime, was not subject to any warrants, and was not a threat to himself or others. Robinson had been hospitalized for a stroke and was on medication at the time of the encounter with the police officers. He had a seizure following the beating and died days later from bleeding on his brain. Second-degree murder charges against two officers were dropped, and former detective Anthony Fox was convicted of culpable negligence manslaughter. However, Fox’s conviction was overturned by the Mississippi Court of Appeals in January this year. The appeals court found that prosecutors had not proven that Fox acted in a grossly negligent manner or that Robinson’s death was reasonably foreseeable.
Wade, the mother of Dexter Wade who was killed by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer in March 2023, faced further tragedy when she was not informed of her son’s burial at Hinds County Pauper’s Cemetery until October. Dexter Wade’s body was exhumed, and an independent autopsy revealed the contents of his wallet, including his state identification card, credit card, and health insurance card. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wade’s family, stated that Dexter Wade was buried in another cemetery after a funeral held on November 20. Wade had faced multiple instances of loss and injustice involving her family members and will continue to seek justice through legal action against the city of Jackson.
The decision to reject the settlement after public disclosure reflects the family’s dissatisfaction with the amount offered by the city and the violation of the confidentiality agreement. Wade intends to pursue further legal action to hold the city accountable for the death of her brother and seek justice for her family. The incident involving Robinson’s death and subsequent legal proceedings have highlighted issues of police brutality and accountability within the community, particularly concerning the treatment of Black individuals. The overturning of Fox’s conviction by the Mississippi Court of Appeals raises questions about the justice system’s ability to hold law enforcement officers accountable for their actions and the challenges faced by families seeking justice for their loved ones.
The tragic deaths of George Robinson and Dexter Wade, as well as the legal battles that followed, have shed light on the injustices faced by Black individuals at the hands of law enforcement and the challenges of seeking accountability and justice in such cases. The family’s decision to reject the settlement and pursue further legal action demonstrates their commitment to seeking justice for their loved ones and holding those responsible for their deaths accountable. The ongoing legal battles and public scrutiny surrounding these cases raise important questions about police accountability, the treatment of Black individuals in the criminal justice system, and the need for systemic reforms to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
