Former Mississippi Police Officers Plead Guilty to Racist Assault on Black Men
In a shocking turn of events, six former Mississippi police officers, who referred to themselves as “The Goon Squad,” have pleaded guilty to a racist assault on two Black men. The incident, which occurred on January 24, involved the officers entering a house without a warrant and subjecting the victims to a horrific assault using a sex toy, stun guns, and other objects for a period of approximately 90 minutes. The assault culminated in an officer shooting one of the men in the mouth in what was described as a “mock execution.”
According to court documents, the officers then conspired to plant and tamper with evidence instead of providing medical aid to the wounded victim. The Justice Department initiated a civil rights probe into the incident in February, and the Mississippi attorney general’s office has recently filed state charges against the former officers, including assault, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
Of the six former officers, five were employees of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, namely 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. Three of the officers, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke, also pleaded guilty to three federal felony offenses in a separate incident on December 4, where Dedmon reportedly 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.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has condemned the actions of the former officers, stating that they “tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm” on their victims and egregiously violated their civil rights. These charges follow an investigation by The Associated Press, which linked the deputies to at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019, resulting in two deaths and one victim suffering lasting injuries.
The plaintiffs in this case, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Rankin County seeking $400 million in damages. The victims, who were identified in court documents only by their initials, have publicly discussed the episode. The former officers were taken into custody after pleading guilty, and they are scheduled to be sentenced in mid-November.
The case has further highlighted concerns regarding U.S. law enforcement brutality, particularly in the wake of high-profile incidents such as the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the beating death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. Kristen Clarke, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, expressed the impact of this case on the community, stating that it has caused harm to the entire community who no longer feel they can trust the police officers who are meant to serve and protect them.
Court documents have revealed that the officers referred to themselves as “The Goon Squad” because of their inclination to use excessive force and not report it. The victims recount the officers subjecting them to racial slurs and warning them to stay out of Rankin County and go back to areas with higher concentrations of Black residents.
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee stated that the guilty pleas from the former officers were historic and emphasized the severity of the charges they face. Each defendant’s sentence could range from 80 to 120 years, with substantial fines. The men are also scheduled to plead guilty to the state charges on August 14.
These outrageous actions of the former officers bring into focus the pressing need for comprehensive police reform and accountability measures. While the majority of officers uphold their duty to protect and serve, incidents like these erode trust in law enforcement and demonstrate the urgent need for systemic change.
