More than two years have passed since the untimely death of Jaylen Lewis-Drake. Now, his family is finally getting the justice he deserves after two Capitol police officers in Mississippi have been charged in his murder.
Despite the high-profile nature of the case, details surrounding what led to officers shooting and killing Drake remain scarce. “I just want to know what happened,” Drake’s mother, Arkela Lewis, told WAPT in 2022. “I want to know were the [police vehicle] lights pulled on when they pulled my baby over.”
Drake was one of multiple shooting victims during Miss. Capitol police’s anti-crime effort, according to NBC News. On the night of Sept. 25, 2022, officers Michael Rhinewalt and Stephen Frederick pulled the father of two over for a routine traffic stop. However, things turned south when police began shooting into Drake’s vehicle, allegedly striking him in the head. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.
Directly following Drake’s death Sept. 25, 2022, Commissioner Sean Tindell said in a statement, “Such incidents require a thorough investigation, scrutiny and transparency. Therefore, any releasable information regarding this incident will be made public by the Department of Public Safety at the appropriate time.”
It took two years for officers Rhinewalt and Frederick to be formally indicted by a grand jury on manslaughter charges, according to NBC News. Rhinewalt is on unpaid administrative leave but was arrested last week for the killing. He was released from jail on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records. Officer Frederick resigned from the Capitol Police in 2023 following a drunk driving incident, according to WLBT. He has not been arrested yet, according to police.
Despite both officers being indicted, Drake’s father, William, says their charges should be more severe. “I think the indictment needs to be amended to second-degree murder,” he said according to WJTV. “You know manslaughter in the state of Mississippi law, that guy can do three or four years, and he’ll be out.”
William also noted this isn’t the first time officer Rhinewalt had a criminal case brought against him. He was charged with aggravated assault following the 2022 shooting of Sherita Harris in the head according to WAPT. Harris was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop, which happened just a month before Drake’s killing. Rhinewalt and another officer are expected to go to trial in June.