The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it reached a settlement forcing reforms for a Mississippi city and its police department, which the DOJ found discriminated against Black people, used excessive force and retaliated against critics. The settlement comes after a scathing 2024 DOJ report said the Lexington Police Department routinely violated citizens’ civil rights in the rural, poor, majority-Black city. The out-of-court settlement requires the City of Lexington and its police department to reform their practices on a number of issues — from fines and bail to stops, searches and use of force — and bring them into compliance with state and federal law.