Six demented ex-Mississippi police officers have pleaded guilty to brutally torturing two Black men and attempting to cover it up.
On Monday, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke, formally of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, and Joshua Hartfield, who was employed with Richland Police Department, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Dedmon was also charged with home invasion, while Elward was hit with additional charges of home invasion and aggravated assault. The men had also pleaded guilty to federal counties earlier this month, Waay 31 ABC reports.
Hopefully, the pleas bring both justice and peace to victims of the self-proclaimed “Goon Squad,” who prided themselves on using extreme violence with anyone they encountered, which is exactly what took place on January 24th. The racist white officers kicked down a door in Braxton, where they found Black men Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker. They did not have a warrant. Instead, the deputies planned to attack the men that night, even agreeing not to leave many bruises on their faces. Once inside, they tortured the pair for roughly 90 minutes, beating them, using stun guns, and even assaulting them with a sex toy and pouring chocolate syrup and milk down their throats as they lay handcuffed. They used racial slurs and told the men to “stay out of Rankin County” and return to Jackson, Mississippi’s capital city that houses a predominantly Black community. At some point during the assault, Elward placed a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and shot him. Instead of seeking medical attention, the officers planted evidence to cover their tracks.
The “Goon Squad” will learn their sentences in November. Each of them faces life in prison or lengthy sentences that they will likely not outlive. Jenkins and Parker have sued Rankin County for $400 million, noting that the “Goon Squad” had a history of violence against Black men that has even resulted in death. Yet, they’d been allowed to keep their jobs.
