Mississippi Men Tortured By Police Settle Lawsuit For $2.5M

Two Mississippi men will receive $2.5 million, after being tortured by sheriff deputies in January 2023

Officials in Rankin County, Mississippi, have agreed to a $2.5 million settlement with Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, the two Black men who were tortured in their home by a group of white sheriff’s deputies infamously known as the “Goon Squad,” the Associated Press reports.

Jason Dare, the lawyer for Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, said $2 million will be paid out by the county’s insurance and the rest will be taken out of the local police budget.

“This settlement is one of the largest excessive force payouts in Mississippi history,” said Trent Walker, the attorney for Jenkins and Parker. “But no amount of money can undo the trauma they endured.”

The January 2023 attack occurred when six Rankin County deputies illegally entered a home without a warrant and subjected Jenkins and Parker to nearly two hours of racially motivated violence. The victims were beaten, tased, waterboarded, and mocked with racial slurs. The torture culminated in a mock execution when one officer placed a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and pulled the trigger, blowing off part of his jaw.

The six deputies, Brett McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, Hunter Elward, Daniel Opdyke, and Joshua Hartfield, later admitted that the abuse was intentional and unprovoked. Subsequently, they pled guilty to multiple federal and state charges, including civil rights violations, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and falsifying reports.

Prison sentences ranged from 10 years to 40 years.

The case has sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of systemic racism and brutality in law enforcement. Civil rights groups and Rankin County residents have called for Sheriff Bryan Bailey’s resignation. Activists have demanded reforms in policing, especially regarding racial profiling and the use of force.

Though the “Goon Squad” is now behind bars, advocates say justice is not complete without deeper institutional change.

“This isn’t just about rogue officers,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP. “It’s about a system that enabled them.”