DOJ probing sheriff's office in Mississippi "Goon Squad" case

The Justice Department connected Thursday announced it is opening a civilian rights probe into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff's Department. A radical of the agency's erstwhile officers — who called themselves the "Goon Squad" — pleaded guilty past twelvemonth to a bid of charges for torturing 2 Black men.

"The nationalist is present good alert of the heinous onslaught inflicted connected 2 Black men by Rankin County deputies who called themselves the 'Goon Squad,'" said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland successful a statement. "Those officers person since been convicted and sentenced, but we are launching this civilian signifier oregon signifier probe to analyse superior allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff's Department systematically violates people's law rights done excessive usage of force; unlawful stops, searches, and arrests; and discriminatory policing."

Garland said the allegations against the sheriff's section see overusing tasers, utilizing radical slurs, entering homes illegally and accusations deputies person "deployed dangerous, cruel tactics to battle radical successful their custody."

The Justice Department said Rankin County officials person said they volition cooperate with the investigation.

The Rankin County Sheriff's Department made nationalist headlines erstwhile 5 erstwhile deputies, on with 1 erstwhile Richland, Mississippi, constabulary officer, were accused of torturing 2 Black men — Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker — successful January of 2023.

FThis operation of photos shows, from apical left, erstwhile Rankin County sheriff's deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke and erstwhile Richland constabulary serviceman Joshua Hartfield. Rogelio V. Solis / AP

All six erstwhile officers pleaded blameworthy to a bid of authorities and national charges, admitting to breaking into a location without a warrant and torturing Jenkins and Parker for hours, going truthful acold arsenic to sprout 1 of them successful the mouth. The men were besides beaten, tased repeatedly and assaulted with a enactment toy, prosecutors said.

The radical of erstwhile officers had arrived astatine the Braxton, Mississippi, location aft a White idiosyncratic called Rankin County Sheriff's Deputy Brett McAlpin to kick astir 2 Black men staying with a White woman. McAlpin told Christian Dedmon, different deputy, who past texted a radical of White deputies internally known for utilizing excessive unit who called themselves the "Goon Squad," according to prosecutors.

McAlpin, Dedmon and chap erstwhile deputies Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke — on with erstwhile Richland constabulary serviceman Joshua Hartfield — were each sentenced to decades successful prison connected some authorities and national charges earlier this year.

In:
• Mississippi