A woman sued the city of Jackson, Mississippi over the death of her brother, George Robinson, who died in January 2019 after being pulled from a car by three police officers. The city council approved a settlement of $17,786 for Robinson’s survivors, including Robinson’s sister, Bettersten Wade. However, Wade decided to reject the settlement after the city publicly disclosed the amount, violating a confidentiality agreement. Wade’s attorney stated that she intends to continue suing the city despite reaching a separate settlement with an ambulance company.
Councilman Kenneth Stokes expressed concern that the city settlement was too small, stating that it sends the wrong message about the value of human life, especially Black lives. The lawsuit alleged that the three officers involved in Robinson’s death brutally beat him, despite him not being a threat or the subject of any active warrant. Robinson had been hospitalized for a stroke and was on medication at the time of the encounter, ultimately dying from bleeding on his brain two days later.
Second-degree murder charges against two of the officers involved in Robinson’s death were dropped, and former detective Anthony Fox was convicted of culpable negligence manslaughter. However, in January of the following year, the Mississippi Court of Appeals overturned Fox’s conviction, stating that prosecutors failed to prove he acted in a grossly negligent manner. Wade is also the mother of Dexter Wade, who was run over by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer in March 2023. Dexter Wade was initially buried in a pauper’s cemetery, and his body was not identified until October. His family held a funeral for him in November and buried him in a different cemetery.
The handling of both George Robinson’s death and Dexter Wade’s death by the city of Jackson and the police department has raised concerns over the treatment of Black lives and the value placed on human life. The public disclosure of the settlement amount for Robinson’s family led to Wade rejecting the settlement and continuing her legal action against the city. The incidents have also highlighted issues of police brutality and accountability within the Jackson Police Department, with questions raised about the actions of the officers involved in both cases.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Wade’s family, has been vocal about the mistreatment and mishandling of both George Robinson’s and Dexter Wade’s cases. The delays in identifying Dexter Wade’s body and the subsequent burial without notifying his family further added to the distress and trauma experienced by his loved ones. The ongoing legal actions and public scrutiny surrounding these cases are part of larger conversations around police accountability, racial justice, and the importance of valuing and protecting all lives, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.
