The Justice Department is initiating a civil rights investigation into a Mississippi sheriff’s department following reports of officers engaging in a racist attack against two Black men. The incident involved beatings, stun gun usage, and assaults using a sex toy, culminating in one victim being shot in the mouth. The investigation will focus on whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has a history of excessive force, unlawful stops, searches, arrests, and racially discriminatory policing practices.
Last year, five deputies from the Rankin Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty to breaking into a home without a warrant and subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to hours of abuse. A sixth officer from the Richland Police Department was also convicted in connection with the attack. The officers, part of a group known as the Goon Squad, were handed sentences ranging from 10 to 40 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke expressed concerns about ongoing issues within the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, citing incidents of deputies overusing stun guns, unlawfully entering homes, using racial slurs, and employing cruel tactics against individuals in custody. The assault on Jenkins and Parker in January 2023 sparked federal prosecutors to describe it as an extrajudicial act instigated by a racist phone call.
Attorneys for the victims noted similarities between this case and Mississippi’s history of racially motivated atrocities committed by those in power. They praised the severity of punishment meted out to the officers involved. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee condemned the former officers’ behavior as “egregious and despicable.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of the crimes perpetrated by the defendants. The lawyers representing Jenkins and Parker commended the Justice Department’s decision to investigate the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, calling it a crucial step towards addressing years of constitutional violations.
The department becomes the 11th law enforcement agency under investigation by the Justice Department since 2021. According to U.S. attorney Todd Gee, text messages between Goon Squad members revealed discussions on using extreme force and dehumanizing residents. The investigation aims to unearth past wrongs and advocate for meaningful change in how civil rights are upheld, particularly in Rankin County, Mississippi.
