Mississippi
A Mississippi officer used excessive force against a man he arrested, prosecutors say
JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi law enforcement officer allegedly used excessive force against a man he arrested earlier this year by striking him with the handgrip of a Taser and kicking him in the head while the man was handcuffed to a bench, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday.
Simpson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Adrian Durr, 43, of Magee, is charged with deprivation of civil rights under color of law, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Durr pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance Thursday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Jackson, his attorney Michael Cory said.
“There is more to the story, but we’re just going to have to let the process play out,” Cory told The Associated Press by phone.
The trial of Durr, who is still employed by the sheriff’s department, was set for Dec. 2, Cory said.
Both Durr and the man he is accused of abusing are Black, Cory said.
The indictment says the alleged abuse happened Feb. 18, and it identified the man Durr arrested only by the initials D.J.
Security camera video of a jail booking area showed Durr and D.J. argued after the latter’s misdemeanor arrest, and D.J. tried to stand while handcuffed to a bench that was bolted to the ground, according to the indictment. The document said D.J. also was in ankle shackles when Durr allegedly beat and kicked him.
“Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime,” Robert A. Eikhoff, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Jackson, said in a statement. “The actions of Mr. Durr significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation.”
Simpson County has a population of about 25,600 and is roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of Jackson, the state capital.
Neighboring Rankin County was the site of an unrelated brutality case by law enforcement officers in 2023: Five former deputies and a former Richland police officer pleaded guilty to federal and state charges in torture of two Black men, and all six were sentenced earlier this year.
The Justice Department announced last month that it was investigating whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force and unlawful stops, searches and arrests, and whether it has used racially discriminatory policing practices.
The department also recently issued a scathing report that said police in the majority-Black town of Lexington, discriminate against Black people, use excessive force and retaliate against critics. Lexington is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Jackson.
Mississippi
It’s 2,350 miles long, spans 31 US states and is home to a 100kg animal with a tongue that looks like a worm | Discover Wildlife
The Mississippi River flows for around 2,350 miles through the heart of the US. It drains an area of 1.2 million square miles – that’s roughly 40% of the country – and at certain points is 11 miles wide. It is North America’s second longest river, behind the Missouri River.
Rising from Lake Itasca in Minnesota, the Mississippi winds southwards through a range of environments, draining water from 31 US states before reaching its delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The sheer size of the river and the diversity of habitats it passes through make it a refuge for a huge range of animal species, including more than 260 fish, 326 birds, 50 mammals and at least 145 amphibians and reptiles, according to the National Park Service.
There are many weird and wonderful animals living within the Mississippi’s vast waters, but surely one of the strangest is the alligator snapping turtle.
This prehistoric-looking reptile is massive. It can weigh up to 100kg and males can grow well over half a metre long, making it the largest freshwater turtle in North America.
And as if its size wasn’t enough, the alligator snapper has a host of other characteristics that make it one of the Mississippi’s most striking creatures, including a dark, spiky shell (known as carapace), a brick-like head and a sharp, hooked beak. With such a formidable appearance, it’s easy to see how the turtle got its ‘alligator’ name.
But perhaps the turtle’s most curious feature is a worm-like appendage found on its tongue, which it uses as a lure to catch prey, such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Alligator snappers are also quite happy scavenging for food.
More amazing wildlife stories from around the world
NIL money comes with a price. More specifically, a tax bill.
The Mississippi legislature is trying to reduce that burden for college athletes who play there.
Via Bea Anhuci of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill that would exempt NIL earnings from state income tax.
It’s a recruiting tool for Ole Miss and Mississippi State, one that would put the Mississippi schools on equal footing with other states that host SEC universities. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas have no state income tax, and Arkansas carved out NIL earnings from the state’s income tax burden in 2025.
Mississippi currently charges a four-percent tax on anyone making more than $10,000 per year.
NIL earnings remain subject to federal income tax.
The bill will have to also pass the Mississippi Senate, and the governor would then be required to sign it into law.
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