By Angela Williams |WAPT 16| February 4, 2021

JACKSON, Miss. — Officials with the ACLU of Mississippi said they are troubled by the slaying of a Black transgender woman in Jackson.

Jackson police said Dedontae Jackson, 30, was shot to death on Jan. 25. Jackson was found inside a vehicle that had crashed into a utility pole on Rose Street and Grand Avenue, police said.

The ACLU said the victim was known as Dominique Jackson.

"While police have not named a suspect, Ms. Jackson's death highlights the need for legislators to expand Mississippi's hate crime law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories," ACLU officials said in a statement.

A bill that addresses the issue is yet to be considered by a Mississippi House committee.

"Black transgender women stand in an intersection where violence disproportionately targets them. Expansion of hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity would be a crucial tool in securing justice for these victims and survivors," Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said.

Jackson police said there is no evidence to show Jackson's slaying was a hate crime. A Jackson Police Department spokesman also said investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting and no arrests have been made.