Residents of Lexington, Miss., were afraid at first to talk to Justice Dept. investigators about abusive policing. On Thursday night, they celebrated together.

Some residents of a small Mississippi town where the Justice Department found severe problems with excessive and racially disproportionate policing said they were unaware of the ongoing issues, while others said harassment from officers was a part everyday of life.

The City of Lexington, Miss. and its police department deprive people of their constitutional rights, discriminate against Black people, engage in excessive force and unlawfully jail people, the Justice Department said.