Judge Drops Murder Charges Against 2 MS Cops

A state judge in Mississippi dismissed murder charges Thursday against two Black police officers accused of body-slamming and beating a Black man. The ruling by Hinds County Judge Faye Peterson ended the trial of former Jackson officers Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley after hearing prosecution witnesses but without hearing defense witnesses, news outlets reported. Peterson, a former district attorney, said prosecutors failed to present evidence that the officers acted criminally against 62-year-old George Robinson on Jan. 13, 2019.