Gypson v. City of Lexington, et al.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi (ACLU-MS) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a lawsuit on behalf of plaintiff Terrance Gypson, alleging that the city of Lexington and Lexington police violated his First Amendment rights by throwing him to the ground and arresting him. On May 24, 2024, Gypson, a 29-year-old Black man, was assaulted and arrested by police for recording a police action, even though he stood at a safe distance and did not interfere with the police.

The SPLC and the ACLU-MS filed the joint complaint — Gypson v. Lexington — in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The complaint includes allegations that Lexington police officer Robert Boyd charged at Gypson with a taser, threw him to the ground and arrested him without probable cause — all because Gypson was exercising his right to record the police.

The state of Mississippi charged Gypson with a misdemeanor but later dismissed the charges with prejudice.

The SPLC and the ACLU-MS, on behalf of Gypson, are seeking a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for compensatory damages, policy and practice reforms, and tighter oversight of the Lexington Police Department, with the goal of holding the department accountable for its discriminatory patterns and practices while bringing awareness and education of rights to community citizens.