Two Members of Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ Set for Sentencing on Wednesday

Two former Mississippi law enforcement officers, Daniel Opdyke and Christian Dedmon, were sentenced for a litany of state and federal crimes involving the torture of two black men. Dedmon, 29, received 40 years in prison, while Opdyke, 28, was sentenced to 17.5 years. The two officers were part of a group known as the Goon Squad, infamous for their use of excessive force. During the sentencing, both officers expressed remorse for their actions. However, the victims and their attorneys are calling for harsher penalties, with the men having suffered abusive racial attacks by the officers.

One victim, Eddie Terrell Parker, left the courtroom before Opdyke could finish his apology. The other, Michael Corey Jenkins, reflected on the physical and emotional impact of his ordeal, stating that deputy Dedmon was the “most depraved” who had attacked him. The two victims were tortured with stun guns, mocked with racial slurs, and assaulted with various objects during a warrantless break-in by the deputies. The officers concocted a cover-up of their crimes, including planting drugs and a weapon.

On the day before the sentencing of Opdyke and Dedmon, two other former deputies involved in the violent assault were sentenced in federal court. Hunter Elward received approximately 20 years in prison, while Lt. Jeffrey Middleton was sentenced to 17.5 years. Brett McAlpin, another deputy, and Joshua Hartfield, a former police officer, were awaiting sentencing. They, like Opdyke and Dedmon, were part of Rankin County’s sheriff’s office Department and had been involved in the group’s racially-motivated attacks.

Federal prosecutors charged the six officers with numerous acts of racially motivated and violent torture against Jenkins and Parker. According to an investigation by The Associated Press, all six officers had been linked to at least four violent encounters with black men since 2019, resulting in at least two deaths and one case of lasting injuries. Prosecutors are pushing for decades-long prison sentences on federal charges, which will surpass separate convictions at the state level, as these sentences will be served concurrently.

The final convicted officer to admit guilt, Opdyke revealed a series of encoded WhatsApp messages where the officers had discussed their plan and its aftermath. His attorney, Jeff Reynolds, revealed that Opdyke’s history of abuse as a child had made him susceptible to the misconduct culture within the sheriff’s office, where older deputies were seen as father figures. Reynolds and Elward’s attorney alleged a “culture of corruption” at the sheriff’s office, questioning the absence of leadership. The officers in question also pled guilty to assaulting a white man during a traffic stop weeks before Jenkins and Parker were tortured.