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Six Mississippi officers plead guilty to torturing 2 Black men

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Six Mississippi officers plead guilty to torturing 2 Black men


Six white former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal civil rights crimes for brutally assaulting two Black men earlier this year, prosecutors said.

Federal prosecutors said the six officers sexually and physically assaulted two handcuffed Black men for more than two hours during a Jan. 24 raid on a Braxton, Mississippi, home for which they had no warrant. The officers carried out mock executions on one of the men and shot him in the face, critically injuring the man.

As the victim was bleeding on the floor, the former officers did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it, including by planting a gun and destroying surveillance video, the Justice Department said.

The officers pleaded guilty to 16 felonies including civil rights conspiracy, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy to obstruct justice, among others. As part of their federal pleas, the men are also scheduled to plea guilty to state charges on Aug. 14, federal prosecutors said.

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A man holds a flag with the words Black Lives Matter during a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, US, August 27, 2020. (credit: REUTERS)

The torture the victims were forced to endure

Both Black men were repeatedly shocked with Tasers, called racial slurs, made to strip naked, and sexually abused with a pistol and a dildo, prosecutors said.

The officers then tried to burn the clothes of the victims in an attempt to cover up their crimes and planted methamphetamine in the house.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a written statement “the defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect.”

Five of the men who pleaded guilty are former sheriffs deputies for Rankin County and they include Hunter Elward, 31; Christian Dedmon, 28; Brett McAlpin, 52; Jeffrey Middleton, 46; and Daniel Opdyke 27. The sixth person who pleaded was Joshua Hartfield, 31, a former police officer in Richland, Mississippi.

All of the officers were fired or resigned in recent weeks.

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The Justice Department began its investigation into the case in February.

The two Black men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, filed a $400 million federal civil rights lawsuit against Rankin County in June over the case.





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Mississippi

Thanksgiving on Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio, set to air on Thursday, November 28th

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Thanksgiving on Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio, set to air on Thursday, November 28th


MISSISSIPPI (KTVE/KARD) — For Thanksgiving, on Thursday, November 28, 2024, the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Radio will air a special programming.

Photo courtesy of Mississippi Public Broadcasting

According to officials, “Turkey Confidential” and “Feasting with the Great American Songbook: An Afterglow Thanksgiving Special” will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Francis Lam will be taking calls and help those in need of Thanksgiving cooking tips for the biggest cooking day of the year.

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According to officals, “Feasting with the Great American Songbook: An Afterglow Thanksgiving Special” will explore classic jazz and popular songs about food by singers like Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, and Fats Waller, perfect for listening while sitting at the table.



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Southeast Mississippi Christmas Parades 2024 | WKRG.com

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Southeast Mississippi Christmas Parades 2024 | WKRG.com


MISSISSIPPI (WKRG) — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on the Gulf Coast and that means Santa Claus will be heading to town for multiple parades around the area.

WKRG has compiled a list of Christmas parades coming to Southeast Mississippi.

Christmas on the Water — Biloxi

  • Dec. 7
  • 6 p.m.
  • Begins at Biloxi Lighthouse and will go past the Golden Nugget

Lucedale Christmas Parade



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‘A Magical Mississippi Christmas’ lights up the Mississippi Aquarium

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‘A Magical Mississippi Christmas’ lights up the Mississippi Aquarium


GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is spreading holiday cheer with a new event, ‘’A Magical Mississippi Christmas.’

The aquarium held a preview Tuesday night.

‘A Magical Mississippi Christmas’ includes a special dolphin presentation, diving elves, and photos with Santa.

The event also includes “A Penguin’s Christmas Wish,” which is a projection map show that follows a penguin through Christmas adventures across Mississippi.

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“It’s a really fun event and it’s the first time we really opened up the aquarium at night for the general public, so it’s a chance to come in and see what it’s like in the evening because it’s really spectacular and really beautiful,” said Kurt Allen, Mississippi Aquarium President and CEO.

‘A Magical Mississippi Christmas’ runs from November 29 to December 31.

It will not be open on December 11th, December 24th, and December 25th.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

The event is made possible by the city of Gulfport and Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

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