Black Men Tortured by Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Call for Strict Sentences

The Call for Justice: Victims Speak Out

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — In a powerful plea for justice, two Black men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, who were subjected to horrific acts of racially motivated torture by six Mississippi law enforcement officers, are calling for the strictest penalties at the upcoming sentencings this week.

The Terrifying Ordeal

Triggered by a neighbor's complaint in January 2023, the officers burst into a home without a warrant, where Jenkins and Parker were staying with a white woman. They proceeded to assault the two men with stun guns, a sex toy, and other objects, in a heinous act of racially motivated violence. The situation took a deadly turn when a mock execution resulted in Jenkins being shot in the mouth. In an attempt to cover up their actions, the officers planted drugs and a gun, and the Rankin County Sheriff's Department supported the deputies' false charges against the victims for months.

The Sentencing

U.S. District Judge Tom Lee is set to sentence two defendants each day, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, following two previous delays in the proceedings. The victims' attorney, Malik Shabazz, called for the “stiffest of sentences,” emphasizing the ongoing emotional and physical suffering endured by Jenkins and Parker.

The Guilty Parties

The former law officers, including former Rankin deputies Bret McAlplin, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke, along with Joshua Hartfield, a former Richland police officer, pleaded guilty to charges ranging from conspiracy against rights to discharge of a firearm under a crime of violence. The officers have agreed to prosecutor-recommended sentences of five to 30 years, although the judge is not bound by that agreement.

Revelations and Accountability

An investigation by The Associated Press uncovered that some of the deputies were implicated in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019, resulting in the death of two individuals and leaving another with lasting injuries. Additionally, revelations emerged that the officers had adopted the moniker “Goon Squad,” highlighting their penchant for excessive force and cover-ups.

A Demand for Change

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, acknowledging the severity of the case, described the crimes by his deputies as the worst case of police brutality he had ever witnessed. The victims, Jenkins and Parker, have not only called for Bailey's resignation but have also filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against the department, seeking accountability and systemic change.