In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage, the family of Dexter Wade is demanding justice after he was allegedly killed by a Jackson, Mississippi Police Department cruiser and subsequently buried without the knowledge of his loved ones. The incident occurred in March, and the details surrounding the case have recently come to light, prompting calls for an investigation.

The heartbroken mother of Dexter Wade, Bettersten Wade Robinson, spoke at a tearful press conference on Monday in Jackson, emphasizing that she never expected her son to meet such a tragic fate. Wade's mother reported him missing on March 14, only to discover in late August that he had been struck and fatally injured by an off-duty Jackson police officer on the night of March 5 while crossing a local highway.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, revealed that an investigator from the coroner's office used fingerprints to identify Dexter Wade as the victim and reported the identification to Jackson Police on March 9, just four days after the incident. However, Wade had no identification on him at the time, leaving authorities to rely on a prescription drug bottle found in his possession to contact his medical provider. Unfortunately, the provided contact number turned out to be inaccurate, hindering further communication with Wade's family.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba addressed the incident during his State of the City address on October 26, acknowledging the lack of communication between the various agencies involved. He explained that due to this breakdown, Wade's body remained in a morgue for an extended period before being buried in a potter's field, as authorities were unable to locate his family in a timely manner. Lumumba emphasized that the investigation concluded that the incident was an accident with no malicious intent.

Attorney Ben Crump pushed back, questioning why the police did not make efforts to visit Bettersten Wade Robinson's home and inform her of her son's death. Crump called it a failure of logic and common sense, suggesting that authorities could have taken more proactive steps to notify the grieving mother.

The Hinds County District Attorney's Office released a statement pledging to investigate Wade's death, including the failure to promptly inform his next of kin and the irregularities surrounding the handling of his body. The Jackson Police Department has declined to comment on the allegations.

Wade's family is now requesting the exhumation of his body to carry out an independent autopsy and ensure a proper funeral and burial. Mayor Lumumba sympathized with their plight, acknowledging the trauma caused by the delay in notifying Wade's mother and the subsequent inability to grant him a proper burial.

During his State of the City address, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, who is unrelated to Dexter Wade, expressed his condolences to the family and vowed to put measures in place to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Attorney Ben Crump accused the police department of a potential cover-up, criticizing the delay in informing Dexter Wade's mother about her son's fate. Crump emphasized the need to challenge the prevailing police narrative and promised to continue fighting until justice is served for Dexter Wade.

As the investigation into this tragic incident progresses, the community awaits answers and hopes that proper protocols will be implemented to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.