Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers, who had already been sentenced to federal prison, received additional sentences on Wednesday in state court. The officers had pleaded guilty to a range of state and federal charges for the torture of two Black men.
In January 2023, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker were assaulted by six former Mississippi law enforcement officers. These perpetrators have already been convicted and sentenced to federal prison terms, ranging from approximately 10 to 40 years. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee, in March, condemned their actions as “egregious and despicable,” delivering sentences close to the maximum allowed under federal guidelines to five out of the six men.
Rankin County Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff handed down state sentences to the men on Wednesday, which were shorter than their federal prison terms. However, the time served for the state convictions will be concurrent with the federal sentences. Therefore, the men will serve their time in federal penitentiaries.
The episode sparked outrage among leading law enforcement officials in the country, with Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the officers’ actions as a “heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect.” The gruesome details of the incident resonated with local residents, who found disturbing parallels to Mississippi’s history of racist atrocities committed by those in positions of power.
Brett McAlpin, the fourth highest-ranking officer in the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, was the first defendant to be sentenced on Wednesday. Previously, a federal judge had already sentenced McAlpin to approximately 27 years of federal imprisonment. On Wednesday, he received a 15-year sentence on one charge and a five-year sentence on another in state court.
Malik Shabazz, the attorney representing Jenkins and Parker, expressed his belief that the state sentencing hearing would serve as a crucial examination for Ratliff and the state prosecutors.
“The significance of state criminal sentencing cannot be understated, as Mississippi has a troubling history of neglecting or downplaying racial crimes and instances of police brutality against Black individuals. In such cases, it has often fallen upon the Department of Justice to take the lead,” emphasized Shabazz.
The individuals accused in the case consist of a group of former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies, namely McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke. Additionally, Joshua Hartfield, a former off-duty police officer from the city of Richland, is also implicated in the assault.
All six of the former officers admitted their guilt to state charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Dedmon and Elward, who kicked in a door, also confessed to committing home invasion.
In March, an investigation by the Associated Press revealed that some of the officers were connected to at least four violent incidents since 2019, resulting in the deaths of two Black men.
According to federal prosecutors, the terror commenced on January 24, 2023, with a racially motivated demand for extrajudicial violence.
A white individual reached out to Rankin County Deputy Brett McAlpin, expressing concern about two Black men staying with a white woman at a residence in Braxton, Mississippi. McAlpin then informed Christian Dedmon, who promptly texted a group of white deputies known as “The Goon Squad,” who were notorious for their willingness to employ excessive force.
According to Jeff Reynolds, the attorney representing Opdyke, the oldest members of the group, McAlpin and Middleton, made threats to kill other officers if they exposed their actions. Opdyke was the first one to come forward and confess to what they had done. He cooperated with investigators and showed them a WhatsApp text conversation where the officers had discussed their plan.
Hartfield, unlike the others, did not work in a sheriff’s department or belong to the “Goon Squad.” As a result, he did not receive a federal prison term at the top of the sentencing guidelines.
In federal court, the deputies expressed remorse for their actions and offered sincere apologies to Jenkins and Parker. Their attorneys emphasized that their clients had been influenced by a corrupt culture that was promoted by the leaders within the sheriff’s office.
In June, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey made the announcement that his deputies had been fired, but he did not provide any specific details about their actions. Later in August, after they pleaded guilty, Bailey stated that the officers had acted independently and assured the public that changes would be made. In response, Jenkins and Parker, the fired deputies, have demanded Bailey’s resignation and have filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against the department.
