Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has formally requested that a state appeals court overturn the manslaughter conviction of Anthony Fox, a former Jackson Police Department detective. Fox was found guilty last year in the 2019 death of 62-year-old George Robinson.
The central argument in Fitch's appeal contends that the prosecution failed to demonstrate "wanton disregard of, or utter indifference to, the safety of human life," the crucial element required for a culpable negligence manslaughter conviction. Fitch's filing details the events leading to Robinson's death, stating that Fox and two other officers removed Robinson from his vehicle after observing what appeared to be a drug transaction. A struggle ensued as the officers attempted to restrain Robinson, during which he consumed something he had been concealing. Fitch emphasizes that Robinson sustained only a minor abrasion on his forehead during the altercation.
Robinson, who had pre-existing health conditions and was taking medication, experienced a seizure several hours later and subsequently died two days later from a brain hemorrhage. While the Hinds County Coroner attributed the death to blunt-force trauma, Fitch's appeal challenges the direct link between the officers' actions and Robinson's death. The appeal notes that Robinson had no other visible injuries from the struggle.
The two other officers involved in the incident were cleared of second-degree murder charges. Fox, who was named Jackson Police Department's officer of the year in 2014 and later served in the Clinton Police Department, received a five-year prison sentence (with 15 years suspended) from Circuit Judge Adrienne Wooten. During sentencing, Clinton Police Chief Ford Hammond testified to Fox's exemplary service record.
