DOJ Opens Investigation Into Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Where ‘Goon Squad’ Operated

(From top L) Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield appear at the Rankin County Circuit Court in Brandon, Miss., on Aug. 14, 2023. Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo

The Department of Justice (DOJ) stated on Sept. 19 that it has opened an investigation into a Mississippi sheriff’s department where six former officers who called themselves the “Goon Squad” pleaded guilty to state and federal charges in connection with the abuse and torture of two black men in 2023.

In its investigation, the DOJ stated that it would determine if the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has engaged in violations of federal law and the Constitution such as illegal searches and seizures, unlawful stops, and discriminatory arrests.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland referenced the six’s “heinous attack” on two black men in which the officers entered the home of a woman without a warrant and proceeded to abuse and torture two black men—32-year-old Michael Jenkins and 35-year-old Eddie Parker—after receiving a complaint from a neighbor reporting suspicious behavior.

The defendants handcuffed and arrested Jenkins and Parker without probable cause and called them racial slurs while punching and kicking the men.

They used a stun gun on them 17 times, according to the DOJ, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a sex object.

They planted a gun on Jenkins, destroyed surveillance video, disposed of shell casings and taser cartridges, submitted false drug evidence, filed false reports, and made false statements to investigators.

“Those officers have since been convicted and sentenced, but we are launching this civil pattern or practice investigation to examine serious allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights through excessive use of force; unlawful stops, searches, and arrests; and discriminatory policing,” Garland said. “These include allegations that Rankin County deputies have overused tasers, entered homes unlawfully, used racial slurs, and deployed dangerous, cruel tactics to assault people in their custody.”

The DOJ stated that this is a civil investigation independent from the federal criminal civil rights prosecution of the six deputies in connection with the assault.

The investigation will involve a review of policies, supervision, systems of accountability, and training.

The DOJ contacted local groups in Rankin County to hear about their experiences with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department.

The sheriff’s department responded to the DOJ’s announcement with a statement on Facebook stating that it has increased transparency by publishing its policies and procedures on its website, in addition to posting a portal for the public to submit feedback.

“We will continue this transparency and will fully cooperate with all aspects of this investigation, while also welcoming the DOJ’s input into our updated policies and practices,” the sheriff’s department stated.