Deaths and Injuries in Police Custody

[Andrea]

Former JPD officer found guilty of assault after 2017 incident

http://www.wlbt.com/2018/11/08/former-jpd-officer-found-guilty-assault-after-incident/



JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - A Hinds County judge finds former Jackson police officer Justin Roberts guilty of assault.

In 2017, Roberts was recorded by cell phone making an arrest and seen punching and kicking a handcuffed man.
Former Jackson Police officer Justin Robert was seen on cell phone camera hitting and kicking a handcuffed man. He was later fired from JPD but found work at Jackson State University as a campus police officer.
Former Jackson Police officer Justin Robert was seen on cell phone camera hitting and kicking a handcuffed man. He was later fired from JPD but found work at Jackson State University as a campus police officer.

Roberts arrested LaDarius Brown and according to his attorney, Carlos Moore, suffers memory loss and headaches since the violent encounter. The former police officer faces a $500 fine and seven days in jail suspended.

“We’re so glad that the prosecutor, Mr. Mumford, was able to get a conviction today. $500, a fine of $500, seven days jail, even though it was suspended -- that’s significant in that most officers get nothing," said Moore. “Those blows, caught on video tape, were brutal. My client did nothing wrong and was never found guilty for any infraction.”

Roberts was fired from JPD after the video of him kicking and punching a man surfaced on Facebook. He is currently employed at Jackson State University as a campus police officer -- which also worries the attorney.

“I am very worried," said Moore. "In 2013, I also represent Adrian Jackson. He was shot by Justin Roberts when he was a security guard. So he shot my guy Adrian Johnson in the back several times. In 2017, he does this to this guy (Brown), while he’s in handcuffs. What does he have to do before they take a gun from this man?

Francis Springer, the attorney for the former embattled officer sees the action fit the situation and that the Roberts was just doing his job.

“We’re going to probably appeal this. We’re looking at that," said Springer. “Every action and every blow that was taken there was justified and of course police work is brutal. That’s why officers carry guns, that’s why they carry tasers, that’s why they carry handcuffs, because it is brutal.”