'Goon Squad' cops sentenced for torturing 2 Black men
What happened
A federal judge in Jackson, Mississippi, sentenced two former Rankin County sheriff's deputies Tuesday for their roles in torturing and sexually assaulting two Black men in January 2023. The two officers and four others, all part of a self-named "Goon Squad," pleaded guilty last year. Hunter Elward, 31, was sentenced to 20 years for abusing the men, Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins, and shooting Jenkins in the mouth during a "mock execution." Goon Squad leader Jeffrey Middleton, 46, got 17.5 years.
Who said what
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee called the crimes "egregious and despicable." Elward tearfully apologized to Parker and Jenkins. "I forgive you," Parker said. "I don't," Jenkins said. "If he wouldn't have been caught, he'd still be doing the same thing."
The commentary
Rankin County residents say deputies "routinely targeted them with similar levels of violence" for years, The New York Times said. Goon Squad members "would barge into homes in the middle of the night, handcuff people and torture them for information or confessions."
What next?
The other four implicated Goon Squad officers will be sentenced Wednesday and Thursday.
