Black Mississippi community celebrates police chief’s firing and set sights on more reforms
Lexington community members gather after the removal of Sam Dobbins as Lexington Police Chief. (Photo by MCIR)
By Sam Boudreau
Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting
LEXINGTON — As this town’s Confederate statue loomed over the Holmes County square, community members erupted in celebration over the removal of Sam Dobbins from his position as police chief.
In a recording obtained by MCIR, a Mississippi law enforcement officer, identified as Dobbins can be heard bragging about killing 13 people in the line of duty, saying, “I shot that n----- 119 times, OK?”
In that recording, the supervising officer is heard using slurs toward individuals who are Black or gay and telling another officer, “I don’t give a f--- if you kill a motherf---er in cold blood.”
JULIAN, a civil rights and international human rights organization, shared the recording made by former Lexington officer Robert Lee Hooker with MCIR.
A day after MCIR published the recording on July 19 (heard in video below), the Lexington’s Board of Alderman held a special meeting and removed Dobbins from his position in a 3-2 vote. Richard Spencer, former Lexington mayor, and Charles Simmons, an alderman, voted to keep Dobbins as chief.
Clementine Cooper, Josh Davis, and Walter Earl Pitchford voted for his removal.
More than 100 community members attended the Wednesday night gathering at the CWMI LLC Rental Hall, a longtime center for community organizing in Holmes County. The hall’s 10 fans whirred endlessly to quell the ongoing heatwave, as community members and organizers celebrated Dobbins’ removal and discussed next steps.
“Sam. Is. Gone,” said Zelpha Lamarr Montgomery-Whatley, a community member and radio host. “I don’t have very much else to say other than Sam is Gone,” she continued, as the crowd repeated her words.
The meeting opened with a reading of the scripture – “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy” – followed by a prayer from Isaac Lindsey, a Lexington community member and prominent voice of Holmes County radio.
“Touch somebody tonight,” said Lindsey, “and let them know that we are here together. We want to thank God for every citizen that has come out tonight to express their disdain with the city of Lexington’s Police Department and administration.”
Francine Jefferson, a JULIAN organizer, led the audience in singing of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round,” a traditional civil rights song.
“Ain’t gonna let Sam Dobbins turn me around,” the audience sang in harmony.
Following the song, Cardell Wright, president of the The Freedom Democrats of Holmes County, celebrated Dobbin’s removal and called for further action in Holmes County. “Sam’s job was emboldened by the inactions of this administration.” Wright also called for the removal of Lexington’s Confederate Statue. “We are using this as a catalyst to get that Confederate statue down,” Wright said.
“When you see a Confederate statue,” said Whatley, “it empowers Confederates to do what they do to us.”
Lexington’s population is 85% Black.
Third Photo: From left to right, Jill Collen Jefferson (left), Francine Jefferson (right) discuss next steps after the Lexington Board of Alderman removed Sam Dobbins from his Lexington Police Chief position.
JULIAN founder and Mississippi attorney Jill Collen Jefferson told the community to continue to call for justice in Holmes County. “We have the opportunity at this point to start a movement that will lead this state,” she said, “so I don’t want us to stop here.”
After removing Dobbins from office, the Lexington Board of Aldermen named Investigator Charles Henderson as Lexington interim chief.
“We know that Henderson is no better,” said Jefferson, as the audience ruptured with applause.
Some residents here have complained about Henderson’s treatment of them.
Community speakers also called for the continued investigation into Dobbins’ past, including his time as an investigator with the Humphrey’s County Sheriff’s Department.
Humphreys County resident Earnest Lee Tigues told MCIR that when the sheriff’s department investigated a series of crimes, Dobbins called him and told him to call Sheriff J.D. Roseman. Tigues said a deputy then hauled him to the department, where he claimed Dobbins threatened to kill him.
Regarding next steps, Jefferson called for community members to vote, carefully record police interactions, travel in pairs and refuse to pay for bail, if arrested. “I’m saying that because they cannot afford to keep you there,” said Jefferson, “If they’re going to take time to violate your rights, make them pay for it.”
Jefferson also expressed fear for the community’s safety after the meeting.
“I don’t expect the targeting to stop overnight,” she said. “I expect them to still mess with you – I expect them to mess with you tonight.”
Whatley accused Dobbins and the Lexington police of harassing an 80-year-old woman's grandchildren. “She is afraid, and she would never come to this meeting, but she calls me and asks how to keep Sam and her folk from harassing her grandchildren.”
Shella Head, host of “FACTS Matter,” a local radio show on 102.5 WAGR, said “this battle that we deal with today is not just about that racist cop in Lexington, Mississippi, we have so many problems at hand in Holmes County, just think about our school system in itself.”
“I go to Madison every day and I know what they have in Madison every day, and I know what they have in Madison, but I also know what we don’t have in Holmes County,” said Head.
Pastor Sylvester James of Southside Baptist Church concluded the meeting with a closing prayer and remarks. “When you get my age, you get old,” said James, “we need some young people and we need to pass the torch down.” “Let us stick together.”
This story was produced by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization that is exposing wrongdoing, educating and empowering Mississippians, and raising up the next generation of investigative reporters. Sign up for our newsletter.