In Mississippi, six former white officers were sentenced for illegally entering a home and torturing two Black men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker. Brett McAlpin, a former deputy, received around 27 years, while Joshua Hartfield, a former Richland police officer, was sentenced to 10 years. This incident involved beatings, the use of stun guns, and assaults with a sex toy, culminating in a mock execution by shooting one victim in the mouth.
The other officers involved received varied sentences: Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 40 years for his role in this attack and another incident; Hunter Elward received over 20 years; Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke were each sentenced to 17.5 years. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee, who sentenced the officers, described their actions as "egregious and despicable" following a racist tip about the victims staying with a white woman. The officers' brutal assault included racial slurs, physical and psychological torture, and a concocted cover-up involving false charges and planted drugs.
A culture of corruption within the sheriff's office was highlighted, with claims that such behavior was encouraged. Despite the officers' guilty pleas and subsequent sentencing, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, under whose leadership the deputies operated, was reelected without opposition after claiming the officers had gone rogue. Jenkins and Parker have filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against the department, demanding Bailey's resignation.
Link: CBSNEWS
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