Title: Former Mississippi Police Officers Plead Guilty to Racist Assault on Black Men
Subtitle: Officers known as “The Goon Squad” face civil rights charges after brutal attack
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Six former Mississippi police officers, self-identified as “The Goon Squad,” pleaded guilty on Thursday to a racist assault on two Black men that culminated in an officer shooting one man in the mouth. The officers, all of whom are white, entered a house without a warrant on January 24, subjecting the victims to a horrifying ordeal involving a sex toy, stun guns, and other objects over a span of approximately 90 minutes, according to court documents.
Following the “mock execution” gone wrong, where one victim was shot and wounded, the officers conspired to tamper with evidence instead of providing medical aid, the documents revealed. The Justice Department initiated a civil rights probe in February, and the Mississippi attorney general’s office announced on Thursday that state charges, including assault, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, had been filed against the six former officers.
Among the guilty pleas were five former employees of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department: Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke. Joshua Hartfield, a former Richland police officer who participated in the raid while off duty, also pleaded guilty. Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke additionally pleaded guilty to three federal felony offenses for a separate incident on December 4, where Dedmon allegedly beat a white man, used a Taser on him, and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene.
“The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims,” stated U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, emphasizing that they “egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect.” The civil rights charges come after an investigation by The Associated Press linked the deputies to at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019, resulting in two deaths and one victim with lasting injuries.
The incident adds to the growing scrutiny of U.S. law enforcement brutality, following the high-profile killings of George Floyd in 2020 and Tyre Nichols in January. Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, expressed concern that the Mississippi officers’ actions have eroded trust within the community they were meant to serve.
According to court documents, the officers adopted the moniker “The Goon Squad” due to their willingness to use excessive force without reporting it. The victims, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Rankin County in June, seeking $400 million in damages. Although the victims are identified in documents only by their initials, Jenkins and Parker have publicly discussed the traumatic episode.
During their court appearance, the former officers, accompanied by family members, were taken into custody by federal marshals.
What are the charges filed against the former Mississippi police officers involved in the racist assault on Black men?
Former Mississippi Police Officers Agree to Guilty Plea in Violent Attack Targeting Black Men
Former Mississippi police officers known as “The Goon Squad” have pled guilty to charges related to a racist assault on two Black men. The attack involved entering a house without a warrant and subjecting the victims to a brutal ordeal, including the use of a sex toy, stun guns, and other objects. The incident escalated when one of the victims was shot in the mouth.
After the shooting, the officers engaged in a cover-up by tampering with evidence instead of providing medical assistance. The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation in February, and the Mississippi attorney general’s office has now filed state charges against the six former officers, including assault, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
Five of the guilty pleas came from former employees of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, identified as Christian Dedmon, Hunt, and others.
This is absolutely sickening. No one should ever be subjected to racism or assault, especially from those who are supposed to protect and serve. These former police officers should be held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law.