2 more ‘Goon Squad’ deputies sentenced for torturing 2 black men

Two black men from the Goon Squad in Jackson, Miss., are set to be sentenced next-to-Leading order

JACKSON, Miss. — Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker sat on the front row of a packed courtroom Tuesday and watched as a federal judge handed down yearslong sentences to two of the white former Mississippi law enforcement officers who tortured the two Black men last year in a brutal attack that began on the basis of race.

After a neighbor complained about them staying in a white woman’s home, Black men were tortured by people who swore an oath to protect them.

Hunter Elward, 31, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the “Goon Squad” that abused the men. Four other former law enforcement officers who admitted to torturing Jenkins and Parker are set to be sentenced later this week — two on Wednesday and two on Thursday.

Judge Lee characterized the former officers’ actions asegregious and despicable and said they justified the top of the range under sentencing guidelines. Two men from the town of Richland, ex-deputy Josh Hartfield and ex-deputyBrett McAlpin, are scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.

The terror began when a white person called a deputy and complained that two black men were in a room with a white woman. The group of white deputies called themselves “The Goon Squad” because they were willing to use excessive force.

The False Charges Against Elward and Parker: When the Black Men Got Off, And They Smelled. And They Solved Their Case

They hid drugs and a gun after Elward shot in the mouth. False charges stood against Jenkins and Parker for months.

They poured alcohol, chocolate syrup, and milk over his face when he and his friend were handcuffed. They forced them to take a shower and be naked. They mocked the victims with racial slurs and shocked them with stun guns.

Last March, months before federal prosecutors indicted several Sheriff’s Department employees, The Associated Press reported that there had been at least four violent encounters with Black men over the course of a year, two of which were fatal.

Jenkins suffered a lacerated tongue and broken jaw. He used to be a musician but his injuries have prevented him from singing. He also said he has trouble speaking and eating. Parker said he relives the episode in his nightmares.

Both victims had called for the “stiffest of sentences.” They were too traumatized to speak in court, and their attorney read statements on their behalf.

Two Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ deputies get yearslong sentences for torturing two black men: A tribute to Joe Hollomon, the victim of the 2023 ‘2023 attack’

Elward’s attorney, Joe Hollomon, said his client first witnessed Rankin County deputies turn a blind eye to misconduct in 2017 and that he had been “initiated into a culture of corruption at the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.”

Opdyke submitted a memorandum to the court saying that his “downfall” was the day Middleton, who was a lieutenant, took an interest in him and inserted him into the Goon Squad. The judge also said Elward, like Opdyke, traced his own involvement in the 2023 attack to Middleton and McAlpin and a “culture of violence” perpetuated by the Goon Squad.

Lee suggested that it could be true that less hands-on involvement in torture was what you had. “There’s no doubt that you and McAlpin are at least part of the reason for the attacks on these victims.”

During a traffic stop that night, Schmidt said Rankin County deputies accused him of possessing stolen property. They pulled him out of the car and beat him. Then, Dedmon forced him to his knees and tried to insert his genitals into Schmidt’s mouth, as Elward watched.

“I pray that I will be forgiven by them one day and that I will forget the vile physical and sexual assaults that I have been a victim of”, he wrote. I know that I am not the only victim, and I pray for each one that crosses paths with the Goon Squad members.

Source: 2 Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ deputies get yearslong sentences for torturing 2 Black men

The Story of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputies, Bryan Bailey and the “Goon Squad”: When the First Officers Solved the Collision

The majority-white Rankin County is just east of the state capital, Jackson, home to one of the highest percentages of Black residents of any major U.S. city.

The officers warned Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” court documents say, referencing an area with higher concentrations of Black residents.

For months, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, whose deputies committed the crimes, said little about the episode. Bailey said the officers had gone rogue and promised to change the department after they pleaded guilty. The men have filed a $400 million lawsuit against the department after they called for him to resign.

It was revealed how the “Goon Squad” was operating during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing. Prosecutors said it was Lt. Middleton who devised the plan to coverup the raid and the accidental shooting, and that he told his fellow officers if anyone told what really happened, he had no problem having them killed.

“Let this be a warning to all police officers in the United States of America,” said attorney Malik Shabazz, who represents the victims. “If you allow deputies and officers under your command to go rogue, to commit crimes and to abuse persons you will be held equally as responsible as the shooter and the abuser.”

The victims had called for the stiffest of sentences, and were in court for the sentencing hearings. Eddie Parker said he still struggles with the lasting effects of that night. I felt like justice was about to be served, and that I was desperate to put this behind me.

Dedmon was called the worst. “Deputy Dedmon was the most aggressive, sickest and the most wicked,” he said through a statement from his lawyer. Dedmon was described by federal prosecutors as sexually abusing the men.

Elward and Opdyke: “I’m sorry for what I’m doing,” he told the victims of the Second Wall Street Collider

During his hearing, Elward spoke to the victims directly. He said “I see you every night.” I can’t do what’s right when I’m not there. I am sorry for my actions.

Lieutenant Middleton apologized for ruining the reputation of law enforcement and his family. I will not forgive myself for not protecting my family and innocent victims.

Opdyke cried in court. “The weight of my actions and the harm I’ve caused will haunt me every day,” he said. “I wish I could take away your suffering.”