<p>JACKSON, Miss. — A state judge in Mississippi dismissed murder charges Thursday against two police officers accused of body-slamming and beating a Black man. </p>
<p>The ruling by Hinds County Judge Faye Peterson ended the trial of former Jackson officers <a href="https://apnews.com/article/34c24edb29dd5cb5d01f78df0580c73f">Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley,</a> news outlets reported.</p>
<p>She said prosecutors failed to present evidence that the officers acted criminally against 62-year-old George Robinson on Jan. 13, 2019. </p>
<p>An <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ms-state-wire-mississippi-shootings-jackson-indictments-73678bfca9d13e86ab349ef2e5e0bf2b">indictment</a> alleged that they and a third officer took Robinson from his vehicle, slammed him to the pavement and repeatedly hit him in the head and chest. He died two days later.</p>
<p>It was not clear how Peterson’s decision would affect the case against Anthony Fox, which is before a different judge and has not yet gone to trial.</p>
<p>The officers worked for the Jackson Police Department at the time. Fox and Barney currently work for the Clinton Police Department.</p>
<p>Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said the decision surprised him, <a href="https://www.wlbt.com/2021/05/20/charges-dropped-against-ex-jpd-officers-death-year-old/">WLBT-TV reported.</a></p>
<p>“Significant evidence was presented. … Three eyewitnesses identified that officers did body-slam Mr. Robinson. Medical professionals … acknowledged that Mr. Robinson died of blunt force trauma,” he said.</p>
<p>Robinson’s sister, Bettersten Wade, said she wasn’t going to hate anyone but did hate what happened to her brother.</p>
<p>The officers said Robinson failed to comply when asked to step out of his vehicle during a traffic stop.</p>
<p>Wade said he would have obeyed but was moving slowly because of a recent stroke, the station reported.</p>
