MS Capitol Police Indictment: Jaylen Lewis Shooting

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Years after a young Black man lost his life, two Mississippi law enforcement officers face serious charges. Former Capitol Police officer Steven Randolph Frederick Jr. and current officer Michael Rhinewalt were indicted for manslaughter. This indictment stems from the shooting death of 25-year-old Jaylen Lewis in Jackson back in September 2022. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but for Lewis’s family and community, this step brings renewed focus on police accountability.

The case casts a harsh light on interactions between law enforcement and Black citizens in Mississippi. It raises hard questions about use of force and transparency. Understanding the details of this tragic event is vital. Furthermore, understanding the context of the Capitol Police force itself is crucial.

The Fatal Traffic Stop: What Happened to Jaylen Lewis?

The incident occurred on September 25, 2022. Jaylen Lewis was pulled over in a traffic stop by Mississippi Capitol Police officers Frederick and Rhinewalt. During this encounter, Lewis, who was unarmed, was shot. He suffered fatal head injuries and tragically died the next day (Mississippi Today; Atlanta Black Star). A female passenger in the vehicle with Lewis survived the incident. However, the specific reason for initiating the traffic stop remains unclear based on available reports.

Jaylen Lewis’s family has voiced deep frustration over the lack of information from authorities following the shooting. His mother, Arkela Lewis, expressed her pain and confusion. She stated, “I just want to know what happened. Were the lights pulled on when you pulled my baby over? What was he doing?” (Mississippi Free Press). Jaylen’s sister, Alexus Lewis, reportedly learned about the shooting not from officials, but through a friend. She encountered no police communication at the scene when she arrived (Atlanta Black Star). This lack of immediate, clear communication only compounded the family’s grief and search for answers.

Capitol Police Manslaughter Charges: Unlawful and Reckless?

After a significant delay, a Hinds County grand jury indicted Frederick and Rhinewalt on manslaughter charges in April 2025, following court filings in March of that year (Mississippi Today; Mississippi Free Press). The indictment document is stark. It alleges the officers acted “willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously, without authority of law and not in necessary self-defense” (Mississippi Today). This legal language suggests the grand jury found probable cause that the shooting was not justified.

The indictment frames the officers’ actions as lacking legal authority or a valid self-defense reason. Some reports characterized the alleged conduct as reckless, even using the term “cowboy-like” behavior, though the sources provided do not elaborate on this description (Atlanta Black Star). Legal documents further described the officers’ conduct as “felonious” (Mississippi Free Press). Additionally, questions were raised about whether the officers properly identified themselves during the stop. The provided materials do not define the legal distinction between manslaughter and murder charges in Mississippi, nor do they explain the precise legal meaning of “feloniously” in this context.

Understanding Mississippi Capitol Police Jurisdiction

To understand the context of this case, it is essential to grasp the role of the Mississippi Capitol Police. Their primary role involves enforcing state laws on state-owned properties within the Capitol Complex in Jackson and nearby areas (DPS: Patrol Division; DPS: Jurisdiction). This includes specific buildings, streets, and roadways designated by state law. Thus, they function differently from typical city or county police departments.

However, the scope of the Capitol Police has expanded significantly in recent years. Legislation passed in 2021 allowed them to operate more like a conventional police force within the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID). Furthermore, Senate Bill 2343 in 2023 potentially extended their jurisdiction to cover the entire city of Jackson, a move raising concerns about state oversight of a majority-black town (Mississippi Free Press). Subsequent legislation, such as House Bill 1059 in 2025, confirms their concurrent jurisdiction within Jackson, meaning they operate alongside local Jackson Police and Hinds County Sheriff’s departments (HB1059 As Introduced). This expansion created an overlapping police presence in the city.

Police Accountability in Mississippi: A Community’s Cry

The indictment of officers Frederick and Rhinewalt brings the issue of police accountability in Mississippi sharply into focus. Jaylen Lewis’s death is sadly not an isolated incident but reflects deeper, systemic concerns about policing, particularly the use of lethal force against unarmed Black men (Atlanta Black Star). The nearly three-year gap between the shooting in 2022 and the indictment in 2025 itself raises questions, although the provided sources do not explain the reason for this delay.

Officer Rhinewalt remains employed but is on leave without pay while the case proceeds. Officer Frederick is no longer with the Capitol Police force (Mississippi Today). For the Lewis family and the broader Jackson community, the indictment represents a crucial, albeit delayed, step toward potential justice. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered. The lack of detail regarding the survivor’s account in the provided materials, the specifics of police communication protocols with families after such incidents, and concrete data on racial disparities in Mississippi policing highlight ongoing transparency issues (Mississippi Free Press; HB1059 As Introduced). The community continues to seek not just answers, but meaningful change in how policing is conducted.

The indictment of Steven Frederick Jr. and Michael Rhinewalt is a significant development in the tragic case of Jaylen Lewis. It acknowledges, through the legal process, that questions surrounding the legality and justification of the shooting must be answered in court. While the indictment provides a path forward, it doesn’t erase the pain of loss or the lingering questions about transparency, accountability, and the specific circumstances of that fateful traffic stop. The available information does not detail the next steps in the legal process, such as trial timelines or potential penalties.

For Jaylen Lewis’s family and the Black community in Jackson and beyond, this case remains a symbol of the ongoing struggle for justice and equitable treatment under the law. The outcome will be closely watched as a measure of police accountability in the state of Mississippi. Ultimately, the pursuit of truth and justice continues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.