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Six former law enforcement officers in Mississippi have pleaded guilty to state charges following allegations of torturing and abusing two Black men earlier this year. One of the victims was shot in the mouth during the incident. These guilty pleas in the state court proceedings come in the wake of the same officers previously pleading guilty to federal charges earlier this month, linked to the same January incident. The victims assert that the incident was motivated by racial bias.

The former officers, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, and Daniel Opdyke, who were deputies for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, along with ex-police officer Joshua Hartfield, were collectively charged with conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, as stated in a news release from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.

Additionally, Dedmon faced charges of home invasion, while Elward faced charges of both home invasion and aggravated assault. The remaining officers – McAlpin, Middleton, Opdyke, and Hartfield – were charged with first-degree obstruction of justice.

On Monday, the six officers appeared in Rankin County court, accompanied by their attorneys, wearing prison jumpsuits and shackled at the wrists. The names of the county jails where they are being held were obscured with duct tape.

In August, the former officers had already pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to the incident. U.S. prosecutors had detailed that the officers forcibly entered a home in Braxton, Mississippi, where the two Black men were residing. They subjected the victims to assault for approximately two hours. The officers were not in possession of a warrant, and some even referred to themselves as “The Goon Squad” for their propensity to use excessive force without reporting it, according to a federal charging document.

The officers collectively faced 13 felony charges related to the “torture and physical abuse” inflicted upon the victims, as indicated in a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

While CNN attempted to reach out to the attorneys representing each of the officers, there was no response from the representatives of McAlpin and Dedmon. Attorneys for Middleton, Elward, and Hartfield declined to provide comments.

Opdyke’s attorney conveyed that the former officer “has admitted to his wrongdoing” and is set to plead guilty to all charges against him in the Rankin County Circuit Court.

The victims, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, pursued a federal lawsuit in June, alleging that the officers unlawfully entered their home and subjected them to handcuffing, kicking, waterboarding, and tasering. They further claimed that the officers attempted to sexually assault them over nearly two hours. The ordeal culminated in one of the officers placing a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and shooting him.

The lawsuit asserted that the officers employed racial slurs repeatedly during the violent acts, demonstrating oppressive behavior toward the African-American victims. The motivation for the officers’ actions, according to the lawsuit, was rooted in race and skin color.

In response to the plea hearing on Monday, Parker expressed satisfaction at the outcome and hoped that the case would serve as a lesson in justice.

The case’s background and unfolding:

The incident transpired on January 24, when Dedmon texted Elward, Middleton, and Opdyke about visiting a property in Braxton to address a complaint received by McAlpin. The complaint came from a White neighbor who reported seeing several Black men at a White woman’s residence and found their behavior suspicious.

Dedmon advised his fellow officers that there might be surveillance cameras on the property, suggesting they knock on the door rather than kick it down if they spotted any cameras. If no cameras were found, they were to enter without a warrant.

During their communication, Dedmon made remarks such as “No bad mug shots,” which prosecutors interpreted as an instruction to use excessive force on parts of the body that wouldn’t be visible in a mug shot. Dedmon also informed the others that Hartfield would be accompanying them.

To avoid a surveillance camera positioned above the front door, Dedmon, Opdyke, and Elward forced their way in through the carport door. Meanwhile, Hartfield kicked open the back door. Inside, they encountered Parker, who was residing there to assist the property owner, and Jenkins, who was temporarily staying there.

For the following two hours, the two men endured relentless violence at the hands of the officers. They were repeatedly subjected to tasing, racial slurs, and having milk, alcohol, and chocolate syrup poured into their mouths. Eggs were thrown at them, and grease was poured onto Parker’s head.

Elward eventually removed a bullet from his gun, compelled Jenkins onto his knees, and inserted the gun into his mouth. He pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire. After racking the slide, Elward placed the gun back in Jenkins’ mouth and pulled the trigger again. This time, the bullet lacerated Jenkins’ tongue, broke his jaw, and exited through his neck.

Following the violent ordeal, the officers formulated a cover story and discussed the possibility of planting a gun from Middleton’s patrol car on Jenkins. Ultimately, Elward placed a BB gun, and one shell casing was discarded. Hartfield disposed of the victims’ soiled clothing in the woods and took the hard drive from the home’s surveillance system before discarding it in a creek.

In June, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey announced the firing of the deputies, although he didn’t disclose the number or their identities. The Richland Police Department revealed in July that Hartfield, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, had resigned.

Bailey, who isn’t facing any charges, stated that he wouldn’t resign. In a statement, he expressed hope that the guilty pleas would bring a sense of justice to the victims. He emphasized ongoing efforts within the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office to review and revise its policies, procedures, and training to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.

Bailey is running uncontested for re-election in November.

Source: CNN