A former member of Mississippi’s “Goon Squad” and his partner were sentenced to 27 years in prison for torturing two black men. Goon Squad, Mississippi, Racial Torture, Prison, Deputy Sheriff, Human Rights, Police Crime, A former Mississippi sheriff’s deputy who was involved in torturing two black men along with fellow white officers who called themselves the “Goon Squad” was sentenced prison for 27 years.
Brett McAlpin, four former members of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, and a former member of the Richland Police Department pleaded guilty in August to a number of offenses.
McAlpin, 53, and Joshua Hartfield, 32, Richland police officers, were the latest members of the group to be convicted on charges of civil rights conspiracy, abuse of rights and obstruction of justice.
McAlpin, the highest-ranking deputy, was sentenced Thursday to more than 27 years in prison, while Hartfield was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The heaviest sentence was handed down by Judge Tom Lee to sheriff’s deputy Christian Dedmon, 29, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Sheriff’s deputy Hunter Elward, 31, who shot one of the men in the mouth during the attack, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, while Jeffrey Middleton, 46, and Daniel Opdyke, 28, were each sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Also read: US Police Jailed for 14 Months in Connection with Death of Black Man Elijah McClain
United States Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement following the first verdict, saying the officers committed a “heinous attack once morest the citizens they were sworn to protect.”
“The Department of Justice will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in doing so, betray the public trust,” Garland said
“These defendants kicked in the door of the home where two Black men lived, tied their hands, arrested them without sufficient justification, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, lasered and assaulted them,” the attorney general said.
Also read: Former US Police Chief, Alan Hostetter, Imprisoned for More than 11 Years in Connection with the January 6 Capitol Riots
According to the Department of Justice, law enforcement officers used sex toys, Tasers and swords in the hours-long attack on Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker.
The six admitted that while responding to a report of suspicious activity on January 24, 2023, they entered the home without a warrant and began a sustained, unprovoked attack on Jenkins and Parker.
Elward at one point removed a round from the gun’s chamber and forced the gun into Jenkins’ mouth before pulling the trigger, the Justice Department said.
Also read: Karen Huger Given a Reprimand After Being Involved in a Car Accident on Potomac
“Elward pulled the thread, intending to shoot a second blank. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun went off. The bullet cut MJ’s tongue, broke it and exited his neck.”
As the mortally wounded Jenkins lay bleeding, the officers began fabricating false evidence to justify their actions, including planting guns and drugs.
Jenkins survived the shooting and attended the hearing with Parker.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Parker said in an interview with local WAPT television channel. “It still feels like a dream that we’re still dreaming.” (AFP/Z-3)
#Mississippi #Goon #Squad #Officer #Sentenced #Years #Prison #Racial #Attack
