Mississippi Mayor stops release of mug shots for people shot by cops

mayor chokwe antar lumumba of jackson, mississippi in late february signed an executive order to stop the jackson police department (jpd) from releasing mug shots of people shot by police, and of youth charged as adults.

the order was signed the exact same day - six years later - when trayvon martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by george zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. zimmerman was later acquitted in a polarizing trial because jurors believed he acted in self-defense under florida's controversial stand your ground law.  

"the last image of any person should not be on the worst day of their life or the worst image that we could possibly provide of them," said lumumba. attorney c.j. lawrence, the mayor's friend and creator of the 2014 "if they gunned me down" social media campaign, also spoke at the press conference.

mayor lumumba acknowledged the complex and fractured history among communities of black and brown people and law enforcement. lumumba said jackson's majority-black police force created a "unique relationship" between residents and the police.

but the mayor's order does not affect the jpd's reluctance to release the names of officers who shot residents. in 2016, the international association of chiefs of police noted the prudent release of officers' names in these cases "serves to enhance public trust in the investigative process, and adds to the transparency and perceived integrity of the investigation."