Mississippi State-Sponsored Lynch Mob Pleads Guilty
Six police officers in Mississippi who referred to themselves as the “Goon Squad” are going to prison after pleading guilty to state and federal charges
On January 24 police responded to a call made by a neighbor about two Black men living with a white woman. Once at the scene, six officers who called themselves the “Goon Squad,” raided the home and proceeded to handcuff, beat, tase, and waterboard Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell for 2 hours. However, the incident didn’t end there.
The officers attempted to sexually abuse the men with a dildo while shouting racial slurs and one of the officers put a gun in Jenkins’s mouth and pulled the trigger in what was described as a “mock” execution. The bullet exited Jenkin’s neck but not before striking his tongue and breaking his jaw. The cops then planted drugs and a BB gun at the scene in an effort to cover up their crimes.
On August 3, the six former law enforcement officers pleaded guilty to 16 federal charges that include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release.
“The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who abuse the public trust that is essential to public safety.”
The former cops also pleaded guilty to state charges on August 14. The charges include aggravated assault, home invasion, obstruction of justice/hindering prosecution in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution, according to the charges filed by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
“Without a relationship of trust between law enforcement officers and those they swear to serve and protect, our fight for justice and against crime is doomed to fail,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “This brutal attack caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims; it severed that vital trust with the people. This abuse of power will not be tolerated. The Attorney General’s Office is committed to delivering justice for these victims and for all Mississippians.”
A federal lawsuit filed by Jenkins and Parker points to the violations of civil rights and torture as shown in reports and charging documents. They are seeking $400 million in damages.
Hateful Motivation
According to reports, Brett McAlpin, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Investigator received a call from a white neighbor about two Black men “staying at the property” with a white woman. The neighbor conveyed to McAlpin that several Black men were at the woman’s home and reported suspicious behavior, according to the charging documents. However, Parker is a close friend of the woman and was living at the home to help her take care of the property. Jenkins is a friend of Parker’s and was staying there temporarily.
After receiving the so-called “complaint,” Officer McAlpin then contacted Rankin County Sheriff Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon who then texted Rankin County Sheriff Deputy Hunter Elward, Rankin County Sheriff Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, and Rankin County Sheriff Deputy Daniel Opdyke to respond to the complaint. Dedmon informed the other deputies that Richland Police Department Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield would be joining them on the call.
According to charging documents, Officer Dedmon warned the other officers that there might be surveillance cameras at the residence. He proceeded to tell them to knock on the door instead of kicking it down if they saw cameras. To avoid the camera above the front door, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke busted through the carport door while Harfield breached the back door.
Once inside, they targeted the two men and tortured them for two hours. Jenkins and Parker were repeatedly tased, brutally assaulted, had food thrown at them, and Dedmon poured grease over Parker’s head as the officers committed offense after offense in the brutal attack. The officers then concocted a story and discussed planting a gun Middleton had in his patrol car on Jenkins until deciding to plant the BB gun. Harfield discarded the men’s clothes in a wooded area and took the hard drive from the surveillance system and dumped it in a nearby creek.
“The defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, without a warrant or any exigent circumstances, they kicked in the door and entered a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing,” says a statement from the Department of Justice. “ The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo. During the incident, Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men.”
In what was clearly a racially motivated attack by police officers, this case highlights one of the most glaring issues with policing in the United States. With a lackluster vetting process and the most militarized training ever seen in the U.S., the country’s law enforcement apparatus is ripe for extremists, racists, and bigots to become cops. Policing in the U.S. and the limited training it offers provides a gateway for the worst members of society to be “enforcers”.
The allowance of hate and bigotry among the ranks is astounding.
The Charges
The state charges:
Former Rankin County Sheriff Deputy Hunter Elward pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, home invasion, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
Former Rankin County Sheriff Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon pleaded guilty to home invasion and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
Former Rankin County Sheriff Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice/hindering prosecution in the first degree and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
Former Rankin County Sheriff Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice/hindering prosecution in the first degree and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
Former Rankin County Sheriff Deputy Daniel Opdyke pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice/hindering prosecution in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
Former Richland Police Department Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice/hindering prosecution in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice/hinder prosecution
The federal charges:
Former Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, 52, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under the color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Former Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under the color of law, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Former Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under the color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Former Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under the color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Former Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office Deputy Daniel Opdyke, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under the color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Former Richland Mississippi Police Department Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield, 31, conspiracy against rights, pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under the color of law conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice
Some of the former police officers face up to life in prison. In addition, three of the officers also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an incident that occurred in December 2022.
“Additionally, during their court appearances this morning, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence,” the statement says. “The charges arise out of an incident on Dec. 4, 2022, in which Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a deputy with the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.
Arturo is a freelance writer, journalist, and publisher of The Antagonist Magazine and a regular contributor at Latino Rebels and Unicorn Riot. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads.
The utter lack of humanity does not seem to be fixable.
They are so depraved, let them rot.