
Former Mississippi Deputy Sentenced to Over 27 Years for Racially Motivated Torture
Mississippi "Goon Squad" members, including law enforcement officers, sentenced to prison for racially motivated torture, violence, and cover-up.

Former Rankin County deputy Brett McAlpin was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Tom Lee. This sentencing comes as part of the case involving the racially motivated torture of two Black men by the Mississippi "Goon Squad".
Other Sentences Handed Down
McAlpin's sentencing follows the sentencing of four other former law enforcement officers involved in the attack. Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the attack and another incident in December 2022. Hunter Elward was sentenced to over 20 years in prison, while Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke were each sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. Former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield is expected to be sentenced by Lee on Thursday afternoon.
Details of the Attack
The attack, which occurred on January 24, 2023, involved beatings, repeated uses of stun guns, and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth in a mock execution gone awry.
Racist Call for Violence
The terror began with a racist call for extrajudicial violence when a white person in Rankin County complained to McAlpin that two Black men were staying with a white woman at a house in Braxton. McAlpin then instructed Dedmon to assemble a group of white deputies for a mission, leading to the horrific events that followed.
Grave Abuses and Coverup
Once inside the property, the officers subjected the victims to racial slurs, physical abuse, and humiliation. The victims were also forced to strip naked and shower together to conceal the evidence of the attack. After Elward shot one of the victims in the mouth, the deputies devised a coverup, which included pressuring a victim to keep quiet and planting false evidence.
Legal Proceedings and Fallout
The sentencing judge handed down prison terms near the top of the sentencing guidelines for each of the deputies. It was noted that the officers' actions were described as "egregious and despicable." The case highlighted the culture of corruption within the sheriff's office, with some of the deputies throwing their phones in a river to destroy evidence.
Community Response and Civil Lawsuit
The majority-white Rankin County, situated east of Jackson, became a focal point for discussions on race and law enforcement. The victims were reportedly told to "stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or 'their side' of the Pearl River." This led to calls for the resignation of Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey and a $400 million civil lawsuit filed against the department by the victims.
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