The Mississippi officers who violently beat and sexually assaulted two Black men have been fired.
On Tuesday, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey announced that the five officers involved in the shocking 90-minute attack have either left the force voluntarily or been terminated. During his announcement, Bailey refused to reveal the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
“Due to recent developments, including findings during our internal investigation, those deputies that were still employed by this department have all been terminated,” Bailey confirmed during a news conference. “We understand that the alleged actions of these deputies has eroded the public’s trust in the department. Rest assured that we will work diligently to restore that trust.”
This latest development stems from a January 24th incident involving Michael Corey Jenkins and his friend Eddie Terrell Parker. Rankin County Sheriff’s Department officers stormed into a home where the men were, supposedly looking for drugs. However, they did not present a warrant when they entered the house. For over an hour, the men were tased and ordered to lie on the floor while officers tormented them by pouring milk on their faces. Then, one of the officers forced Jenkins on his knees, placed a gun in his mouth, and fired it, with the bullet exiting behind one of his ears. The demented deputies also used sex toys on the men. There is no bodycam footage of the terrifying attack.
Several deputies involved in the Jenkins and Parker attack had previously been involved in encounters that left other Black men dead or injured during their careers.
Civil rights attorney Malik Shabazz, who represents Jenkins and Parker, said the firing is a significant first step but is now calling for criminal charges to be filed against the violent officers, all of which are white.
“Sheriff Bryan Bailey has finally acted after supporting much of the bloodshed that has occurred under his reign in Rankin County,” Shabazz said in a statement.
