SuperTalk Media MidDays with Gerard Gibert 2026-09-29

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Get ready to go beyond the headlines and join a meaningful conversation with people from around the state. You're listening to MidDays with Gerard Gibert here on SuperTalk Mississippi.

Gerard Gibert (1:03)

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to MidDays. SuperTalk Mississippi, I'm your host, Gerard Gibert, on location in Tupelo, Mississippi today for the Digital Innovation 2026 The Megapop will be here for a couple of days. Rhino Safe and Sound back in the SuperTalk Mississippi headquarters will be guiding you through the middle of your day with facts fodder and fine music up in your neck of the woods there, Rhino.

Rhino (1:31)

Howdy, howdy.

Gerard Gibert (1:32)

What in the world is going on today?

Rhino (1:33)

I almost overslept. I got so used to not setting an alarm, I forgot to set one last night, and woke up at about 9 o'clock.

Gerard Gibert (1:42)

Nine o'clock. Well, I got here early today. I walked in about 10.01. There was plenty of time to get all set up and ready to log on and launch the show. It's always a bit of a challenge to find some available internet connectivity whenever we're on remotes. But we're here at the Huntington Bank Arena, and what a nice facility this is. The city of Tupelo is so blessed to have such a great venue. In this event, a big one. We look forward to a great lineup for today and tomorrow. We're going to kick things off in the next segment with the mayor of the city of Tupelo, Todd Jordan. In the meantime, we got a lot of news to get to as well. Well, in the Magnolia state, you probably saw it that a jury acquitted former Capitol Police officer and they're deadlocked on a second one. This is concerning a fatal shooting in 2022 And this split verdict was issued in this manslaughter trial. This is really interesting. Hines County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson polled the majority black, majority female jury after reading Officer Frederick's not guilty verdict. Not one juror was able to reach a verdict regarding Reinwald, the other officer who fired the fatal shot that struck Jalen Lewis in the head following a traffic stop. The deliberations began yesterday after closing arguments. It's really, it's centered on where the officers' actions in self-defense, which are constituted under Mississippi law. Frederick's defense attorney Merida Coxwell told the jurors that officers have a right to defend themselves. This is when the decedent's vehicle moved toward them and noted that Frederick's projectile did not strike Jalen Lewis. Attorney Coxwell said the officers were in plain clothes with tactical vests and unmarked cars as part of the Capitol Police flex unit and had initiated a stop after Lewis ran a red light. So they're just doing their job.

Scott Gilbert, the attorney who represented Reinwald also running for circuit judge in the district that includes Madison and Rankin counties, he an attorney argued that the forensic evidence showed that Reinwald was directly in front of the vehicle when he fired. He maintained jury instructions did attorney Scott Gilbert that require them to evaluate what the officers believed within reason in split seconds. That's what's so hard about this. These guys have to make these decisions that literally could mean the difference in living and dying. After he backed up, the driver of the vehicle, Lewis, who was struck, struck the squad vehicle, drove forward, and he said, you got to consider that, did Ryan Waltz attorney. So it's the attorney general who argued that, or someone on behalf of the attorney general, the attorney general's office, assistant attorney general specifically, Luke Williamson, argued that the two officers unnecessarily created a dangerous situation approaching him at night in unmarked vehicles, in plain clothes, for running a red light. Really? Help me understand that one, Ryan. What's the problem with that? You broke the law. These are officers of the law. So they're in plain clothes. They pulled him over.

So the attorney general, assistant attorney general, said that testimony from the passenger, Selena Hayes, she testified she did not see blue lights or recognize the men as police officers until after gunfire ensued. So that's interesting. That all came about yesterday after we were on the air.

It's interesting that this is a situation where I had a hard time really comprehending that, where the Attorney General is essentially serving in the prosecutorial role here in this case against these two Capitol Police officers. I get it, the Attorney General is charged with protecting people under our law. But at this point, that's the outcome of the jury. One acquitted, one deadlocked. The Attorney General did say, we're not going to pursue this case against the other officer that ended in a deadlocked decision.