Former police officers involved with 'Goon Squad' receive more prison time. What we know
Five former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies and one Richland police officer connected to the "Goon Squad" received state sentences Wednesday for their involvement in abusing and torturing two Black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker.
Former Rankin County Sheriff's deputies Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield pleaded guilty to state charges in August 2023. The charges stem from an incident on January 24, 2023, when the ex-officers busted into a home without a warrant, called Jenkins and Parker racial slurs, beat them, assaulted them with a sex toy, and shot Jenkins in the mouth.
The Goon Squad state sentences
McAlpin, 53, former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
Middleton, 46, former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced to 25 years in state prison.
Elward, 31, former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, was sentenced to 45 years in state prison.
Daniel Opdyke, 28, former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.
Time served for the state charges will run concurrently to the federal sentences they received in March 2024.
Shortly before a state sentence was handed down by Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff, Jenkins and Parker described the trauma they endured at the hands of the former policemen in a statement read by Attorney Malik Shabazz.
“Me and Eddie in this event were called racist names. We were called [racial slur], we were called monkey, we were called boy, and we were accused of dating White women,” Jenkins' statement said.
“After Hunter Elward shot me, they left me to die bleeding on the floor. And they tried to set up me up to be in prison,” the statement continued. “Your honor, they killed me. I just didn’t die.”
Parker's statement read, "I never knew the ones that were sworn to protect and serve would be the ones that needed protection from. ... They should be given what they gave me and Michael Jenkins, which is no mercy."
None of the officers or their attorney’s provided a statement.
After the officers were sentenced in state court, Shabazz said to reporters the court has "given out justice." Shabazz said the judge has "set a new standard here in Rankin County, that police brutality will not be tolerated in Rankin County."
Here's a recap of each officer's federal sentencing handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee which ranged from 10 to 40 years:
Read quote from Sheriff Bailey here: See the prison sentences of each ex-Mississippi officer connected to the 'Goon Squad'
The Goon Squad federal sentences
March 19: Elward, who shot Jenkins in the mouth, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Judge Lee called Elward's crimes “egregious and despicable.”
March 19: Middleton, the alleged leader of the "Goon Squad," was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison. Judge Lee said he had "no hesitation" in concluding that Middleton's actions called for a sentence at the top of the guideline range.
March 20: Opdyke was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison. Judge Lee told Opdyke despite being "subjected to the corrupted influence" of his superiors, Opdyke knew about the excessive force and tactics of the "Goon Squad."
March 20: Dedmon received the longest sentence of all involved former officers — 40 years in federal prison. Jenkins, one of the victim's, said Dedmon was the "worst example of a police officer in the United States of America."
March 21: McAlpin, who was the highest-ranking deputy on the scene of the January 24, 2023, incident, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison. Prosecutor Christopher Perras described McAlpin as the “mafia don” of the group, stating that while the victims were "screaming in pain," McAlpin was "urinating in a closet."
March 21: Hartfield, the last to be sentenced in connected to the 'Goon Squad,' was handed down the shortest sentence of 10 years. Judge Lee took five minutes of deliberating outside the presence of the courtroom before the sentencing was imposed, which was the only time in the sentencings that Lee did not impose a sentence right away. Lee said he looked at Hartfield "in a different light."
About an hour after the last federal sentencing was imposed, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey released a statement.
"In January of 2023, criminal conduct by individual former deputies injured citizens in our county and undermined the reputation of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department," Bailey's statement read, "… Violations of established rules and regulations will not be tolerated by this department, and anyone who violates the law will be brought to justice."
Rankin County NAACP President Angela English said Bailey should be brought to "justice" as well.
'Bailey, your days are numbered:' Rankin Co. NAACP, attorneys call for the resignation of Sheriff Bryan Bailey
"We have, in leadership, the sheriff who we consider the leader of the Goon Squad. So, we are going to continue our fight to remove him from office," English said. "We have asked for him to resign, and (Bailey) stated he was not."
English said the Rankin NAACP chapter has reiterated to the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a "clean sweep" of the county sheriff's office. The "clean sweep" includes reopening cases involving the five former officers and holding Bailey accountable for "any wrongdoing."
"You can either walk out on your own or you can walk out, the walk of shame," English said, directing her statement toward Bailey.
Following English's comments, some community members exited the courthouse and entered the county's sheriff's office to demand for Bailey to address their concerns.
Jason Dare, an attorney representing the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, told the Clarion Ledger he spoke with the members in the office's lobby.
Dare said the department would be "happy" to talk with the NAACP chapter.
"It's my understanding based on the conversation in the lobby today that they would like to schedule a conversation with the sheriff or representatives with the department, and we plan on doing that," Dare said. "We encourage community involvement, including from the Rankin NAACP, on improving law enforcement procedures moving forward."
Dare said based on his knowledge, he has not been made aware of the Justice Department potentially seeking Bailey's resignation.
"We are strongly focused on moving forward and making this department something the community can be proud of," Dare told the Clarion Ledger.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Goon Squad former officers sentenced by state of Mississippi