According to former deputies, cruelty was seen as a means of advancing in a department that used force against alleged criminals.
This week’s sentencing hearings for six law enforcement officials—among them, members of the Goon Squad—uncovered a troubling picture of a Mississippi sheriff’s office that pushed deputies to use excessive violence as a tactic to keep the peace.
Prosecutors and some of the guilty deputies described a toxic atmosphere in which higher-ranking officers gave orders to subordinate police to torture and humiliate people who they suspected of committing crimes.
The youthful deputies claimed that they believed using violence was a means of advancing in their careers and meeting the high standards of their superiors—who were revered as heroes within the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department.
Former narcotics detective Christian Dedmon stated in court this week that he advanced through the ranks of the sheriff’s office due to his willingness to “do bad things.” He claimed that the sheriff’s office had a culture of misbehavior.
In light of federal civil rights crimes resulting from the torture and sexual abuse of two black males, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, in January 2023, Mr. Dedmon and five other former Rankin County law enforcement officers were sentenced to jail this week.
The two males were subjected to assault with a sex toy and stunned with Tasers by the officers, who entered a guilty plea last summer. One of the officers shot Mr. Jenkins in the mouth, almost killing him, during what was described as a mock execution.
After shocking Alan Schmidt with a Taser and pressing his genitalia against his face and bare buttocks while he was shackled, three deputies were also found guilty for their participation in the beating that occurred in December 2022.
The final cop was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee. Lead detective Brett McAlpin, who was dubbed the Goon Squad’s leader, received a sentence of more than 27 years in prison. Richland Police Department narcotics detective Joshua Hartfield received a 10-year prison term.
Nearly two dozen Rankin County deputies, several of them were high-ranking detectives who answered directly to the Rankin County sheriff, Bryan Bailey, carried out a decades-long reign of terror, according to an investigation conducted last year by Mississippi Today and the New York Times.
Numerous witnesses and victims claimed that during narcotics arrests, officers punched and shoved people until they were bleeding and bruised, dripped hot metal down another man’s flesh, and forced a man to vomit after forcing him to the ground with a stick. assaults.
Poor Rankin County residents claim that police have been systematically breaking into their homes without a warrant and physically shaking people to acquire information about drug use for years.
The reasons why the violence was so pervasive were clarified by testimony presented during hearings this week.
Federal prosecutor Christopher Perras said on Thursday that over the previous five years, Mr. McAlpin was engaged in at least nine occasions where the investigator ordered deputies to “brutalize people with impunity.”
McAlpin, the former top investigator, allegedly made younger subordinates “do the dirty work for him,” according to Mr. Perras.
Mr. Perras stated that “McAlpin was the one who molded these guys into who they became.” “It makes sense that these individuals emulated him since he set an example of this conduct for naive young officers.”
One of Mr. McAlpin’s numerous victims, according to local resident Jeremy Travis Paige, was disclosed to reporters last year. Mr. McAlpin’s deputies staged and beat Mr. Paige until his face was black and bloody during a 2018 raid on his Pearl, Mississippi, home. He stated that during the discussion, Mr. McAlpin requested that the deputies spearhead the assault.
On Thursday, he stated, “He was the captain and they were the hitmen.” “He simply sat in the chair and observed everything they did.”
Regarding the actions of Mr. McAlpin and other officers, Mr. Paige was among a number of people who claimed to have attempted to speak with Sheriff Bailey directly, submitted formal complaints, or filed federal lawsuits. Booking images that The Times and Mississippi Today were able to obtain show that he was among a number of individuals who arrived at the jail with visible injuries.
Daniel Opdyke, a former patrol deputy condemned to nearly eighteen years in jail, was represented by Jeffrey Reynolds, who stated that his client obeyed Mr. McAlpin “rightly or wrongly, without a doubt” and saw him as a father figure. Nevertheless, Mr. Reynolds claimed that Sheriff Bailey kept elevating Mr. McAlpin despite the persistent allegations against him.
“Where is the true authority? Why do they not appear in this courtroom? Mr. Reynolds stated.
Despite not being present at the sentencing hearings, Sheriff Bailey has consistently denied being aware of the activities of his deputies. However, police specialists stated that information presented at the proceedings further calls into question his assertions.
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said, “There were so many red flags in this case that it seems unbelievable to think that the top brass didn’t know about it.” “It shouldn’t have taken 20 years for police officers to be held accountable for these horrific crimes.”
Sheriff Bailey’s office is completely collaborating with state and federal authorities in their investigation into his former deputies, and his department is committed to maintaining the safety and security of county citizens, according to a news release issued on Thursday.
“I will continue to be dedicated to the advancement of this county and this sheriff’s department going forward as the duly elected and acting sheriff of Rankin County,” he declared.
U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk, a prosecutor, disclosed that investigators noted more violent instances than those that resulted in federal prosecutions.
Speaking outside of court, Ms. Chalk cited an inquiry report that listed “countless other missions” carried out by Mr. Dedmon and other individuals. The Justice Department inquiry revealed that deputies used the code term “mission” to describe a forceful arrest.
Former lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton designed challenge coins, mementos typically given by law enforcement and military personnel to foster a sense of brotherhood among deputies inside exclusive units.
The Goon Squad challenge coin has three cartoonish gangsters over Mr. Middleton’s name. Ms. Chalk stated during Mr. Middleton’s hearing on Wednesday that the original sketch included pictures of a noose and a Confederate flag.
Presently, local prosecutors are examining criminal cases involving Goon Squad members to see if they qualify for dismissal. Bubba Bramlett, the district attorney for Rankin County, declined to provide specifics regarding the cases being considered.
Parker and Jenkins expressed their hope that Sheriff Bailey would be the next target of federal officials’ investigation.
“That represents the snake’s head,” Mr. Parker remarked. “We’re now stepping on his tail.”