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Six Mississippi officers who referred to themselves as the "Good Squad" were sentenced on state charges for the torture and abuse of Black men Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker in a January 2023 attack.
On Wednesday (April 10), a judge handed out sentences ranging from 15 to 45 years on various state charges including aggravated assault, burglary, and conspiracy to hinder prosecution to former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, and ex-Richland Police Department officer Joshua Hartfield, per HuffPost.
On the night of January 24, 2023, a white neighbor called McAlpin, asking if he and the squad were "available for a mission" before the officers entered a home where Jenkins and Parker were staying without a warrant. The officers went on to handcuff the two and assault them for 90 minutes. Law enforcement officers beat "Parker with wood and a metal sword, then poured milk, alcohol, and chocolate syrup over their faces before forcing them to strip naked and shower together." Elward fired a gun in Jenkins' mouth. Following the assault, officers attempted to cover up the incident, fabricating a narcotics bust by planting weapons and drugs.
In March, a federal judge sentenced the "Goon Squad" to prison terms ranging from 10 to 40 years. The officers pleaded guilty in their federal and state cases last summer.
McAlpin, considered one of the ring leaders of the Goon Squad, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison on Wednesday. Dedmon was sentenced to 25 years while Opdyke was given 20 years on state charges of conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Elward was handed down 45 years in prison on charges of aggravated assault, burglary/home invasion, and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Hartfield was sentenced to 15 years for hindering prosecution and conspiracy to hinder prosecution.
The officers will serve their state sentences concurrently with their federal ones, the judge said Wednesday.
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