Mississippi Deputies Called ‘Goon Squad’ Plead Guilty to State Charges

(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

Six former Mississippi sheriff’s deputies who called themselves the “Goon Squad” pleaded guilty to state charges on Aug. 14.

The five former deputies with the Rankin County Sheriff’s office and one former Richland Police Department officer admitted their guilt to charges of aggravated assault, home invasion, obstruction of justice, and hindering a prosecution.

The Rankin County Sheriff’s deputies in the case are chief investigator Brett McAlpin, 52; narcotics investigator Christian Dedmon, 28; Lt. Jeffrey Middleton, 46; Dep. Hunter Elward, 31; and Dep. Daniel Opdyke, 27, along with Richland City Police Officer Joshua Hartfield, 31, who was also present during the incident.

State Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who brought the charges, said abuse of power won’t be tolerated in the Magnolia State.

“I am grateful for the collaboration and cooperation of our state and federal counterparts who helped us deliver justice for the two victims of this brutal attack,” Ms. Fitch said in a press release. “The six officers who committed these heinous acts caused more than physical harm, they severed the vital trust with the people they pledged to protect. However, these six officers are the exception, not the rule. Every day men and women in uniform put their lives on the line to protect Mississippians. It is my hope that we can now help these victims begin to heal and restore confidence in the criminal justice system.”

Federal Charges

On Aug. 3, the six defendants pleaded guilty to the federal charges of civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under the color of law, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Three of the defendants had admitted in court that they were part of a “Goon Squad,” named for the members’ willingness to use excessive force and not report it.

As previously reported, the defendants entered a home without a warrant and proceeded to abuse and torture two black men, 32-year-old Michael Corey Jenkins and 35-year-old Eddie Terrell Parker, after receiving a complaint from a neighbor reporting suspicious behavior at the home of a woman identified as K.W.

The defendants handcuffed and arrested Mr. Jenkins and Mr. 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 Mr. Jenkins, destroyed surveillance video, disposed of shell casings and taser cartridges, submitted false drug evidence, filed false reports, and made false statements to investigators, the DOJ said.

Additional Charges

According to The Associated Press, all officers except for Mr. Elward are facing up to five years.

Both Mr. Dedmon and Mr. Elward pleaded guilty to additional charges of home invasion.

Mr. Elward, because he performed a “mock execution” by shoving the gun in Mr. Jenkin’s mouth and pulling the trigger, faces additional charges of aggravated assault, which could bring him up to 30 years.

The time they will serve for state charges will run concurrently with the federal convictions handed down in November.

$400,000 Lawsuit

The incident drew the attention of attorney and former chairman of the New Black Panther Party Malik Shabazz, now national president of Black Lawyers for Justice.

In a $400 million lawsuit filed against the defendants, Mr. Shabazz called the assault “one of the worst and most bizarre incidents of police misconduct in United States history.”

“The egregious conduct described in this Complaint is torturous and hateful,” Mr. Shabazz wrote in the complaint. “The acts described herein, committed under the color of law, set the standard of what is wrong with policing today in America.”

Sheriff’s Statement

According to local news, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said the department “hopes today’s guilty pleas bring some sense of justice to the two victims in this case.”

“In one of our first public statements, we said, ‘If any deputy or suspect involved in this incident is found to have broken the law, he will be held accountable in accordance with the law,’” Mr. Bailey said. “I believe today’s guilty pleas show the community that our system of checks and balances is effective. An unbiased and impartial investigation into these former officers uncovered their criminal actions.”

Mr. Bailey added that the department will continue to examine its policies, procedures, and training, having requested assistance from and contracted with outside agencies.

“These actions are taken to prevent anything like January’s tragedy from ever happening again,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.