Two men working as Capitol Police officers have been indicted for manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Jackson man in 2022.
Mississippi Today has obtained a copy of the March 14 indictment, which charges Steven Frederick Jr. and Michael Lamar Rhinewalt with manslaughter in the Sept. 25, 2022, death of 25-year-old Jaylen Lewis in Hinds County.
It’s the same Frederick who resigned from Capitol Police in 2023 when he was charged with DUI after crashing a state-owned Mississippi Department of Public Safety vehicle.
Rhinewalt has been on administrative leave without pay and has not been actively employed with the agency since January of 2025. according to Bailey C. Martin, spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
Frederick and Rhinewalt reportedly told investigators that one of them shot Lewis in self-defense after Lewis drove his car toward them. According to the indictment, Frederick and Rhinewalt said this killing “was necessary to protect himself from great bodily harm or death at the hands of Lewis,” but the indictment concluded that was “not a reasonable belief under the circumstances.”
The state attorney general’s office presented the case to the Hinds County grand jury, which indicted the officers.
Upon hearing of the indictment Tuesday, Lewis’ mother, Arkela, said, “I could jump up for joy.”
Capitol Police never explained why her son was shot in the head during a traffic stop on East Main Street, and she never received a copy of the autopsy report, she said. “I haven’t received anything. Nothing at all.”
The woman who was riding with her son told her that the officer was walking toward them with his gun drawn, she said. “My son screamed out, ‘It’s the police.’ He froze. That’s when the shots were fired.”
On March 12, 2023, Frederick, who has been dating Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey’s daughter Alexis, totaled his state vehicle. After a breathalyzer test, the trooper said over the radio that Frederick had a blood alcohol level of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol video. The ticket listed the level as 0.12.
He initially told the trooper he was “trying to clear my head” and had only two beers, but he later admitted he had been drinking liquor, according to Highway Patrol videos obtained by Mississippi Today.
Frederick arrived at the Covington County Jail at 11:49 p.m. Less than an hour later, Covington County Sheriff Darrell M. Perkins ordered Frederick released without bond to Bailey. Afterward, Frederick resigned from the Capitol Police.
Authorities have learned that after the accident, Bailey allegedly contacted a prosecutor, asking what would happen if a trooper didn’t appear for a DUI hearing. The prosecutor replied that, if the trooper failed to appear, the case would be dismissed.
That’s exactly what happened on Aug. 9. The trooper failed to appear, and Covington County Justice Court Judge Bobby Wayne Mooney dismissed the case.
Authorities have also learned that after the accident, Bailey reportedly telephoned Frederick’s supervisor and said that the DUI had been “taken care of” and that Frederick should keep his job, but the supervisor refused to do so.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday that Frederick works there. He could not be reached for comment, and Rhinewalt’s family said they could not discuss the matter. Bailey previously declined to respond to requests for comment.
Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, whose office is over Capitol Police, said his office would continue to monitor the matter. “It’s a pending criminal matter, so there’s not much I can say,” he said.
In an emailed statement, Martin said DPS has established an Internal Affairs Division to further strengthen accountability that operates independently of other agencies within department and reports directly to Tindell.
“This division includes dedicated investigators tasked with independently handling complaints of officer misconduct. In addition, Capitol Police officers now wear body cameras and additional policies have been instituted to ensure greater professionalism and accountability, Martin said.
Anyone wishing to file a complaint can do so at www.dps.ms.gov.
Updated 4/15/24: This story has been updated to clarify Rhinewalt’s status with the Capitol Police and to include what steps DPS is taking.
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