Mississippi
Six White Former Police Officers Plead Guilty To State Charges For Torturing Two Black Men In Mississippi
![Six White Former Police Officers Plead Guilty To State Charges For Torturing Two Black Men In Mississippi Six White Former Police Officers Plead Guilty To State Charges For Torturing Two Black Men In Mississippi](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/64da4e5361198fdb0f635ebe/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&crop=1993,1121,x0,y0,safe&width=1200)
Topline
Six white former Mississippi police officers pleaded guilty to state charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution after recently pleading guilty to 16 federal charges for assaulting two Black men in January—here’s what to know about the case.
Six officers have now pleaded guilty to state and federal charges against them for assaulting and … [+]
Key Facts
Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, and Joshua Hartfield of the Richland Police Department recently pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution for assaulting and torturing two Black men.
The officers, known as the Rankin County 6 by some, pleaded guilty to 16 federal charges for the same case earlier this month involving the assault of Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker during a home raid in Braxton, Mississippi, on January 24.
The officers were reportedly called for suspicious behavior of two Black men, while Jenkins and Parker were in the home of a friend.
These charges can carry up to 20 years and the officers are expected to concurrently serve them with the federal charges, which carry between 10 and 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
The Rankin County sheriff’s deputies were fired in June and Hartfield resigned from the Richland police force in July.
All involved officers are expected to be sentenced in November.
Key Background
Federal charges against the officers, per the Justice Department’s filing, include conspiracy against rights, conspiracy to obstruct justice, deprivation of rights under color of law, obstruction of justice, use and carry and brandish and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Both state and federal charges stem from claims that the officers tortured Jenkins and Parker, including having them strip naked and shower together and hurling eggs at them, while others failed to intervene during an illegal raid. After being handcuffed without probable cause, per the DOJ, Jenkins and Parker were allegedly assaulted with a sex toy, beaten, called racial slurs, tasered and waterboarded and Jenkins was shot in the mouth by Elward, suffering cognitive damage and permanent nerve damage on one side of his face, according to a filing from Black Lawyers for Justice and attorneys Malik Shabazz and Trent Walker. The DOJ says the officers failed to intervene to help Jenkins and instead devised a cover up story that included planting a gun on Jenkins, charging him with crimes he did not commit, submitting fake evidence and filing false reports.
Surprising Fact
Some of the officers involved in this case claimed to be a part of “The Goon Squad,” according to the DOJ—a group of officers within the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office who do not report the excessive force they use. In addition to charges from Jenkins and Parkers’ case, Dedmon, Elward and Opdyke pleaded guilty to charges brought against them for beating, tasing and firing a gun at a white man last December for his confession.
Tangent
In January, five Black police officers, part of Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION Unit, were charged with murder for fatally beating a Black man named Tyre Nichols after he was pulled over. Nichols’ death sparked national media attention and the Justice Department’s review of Memphis Police Department and their use of specialized units. The DOJ is investigating the city of Memphis and the police department “to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by MP.”
Further Readings
Six former Mississippi officers have pleaded guilty to state charges for torturing two Black men (The Associated Press)
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Mississippi
Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)
![Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31) Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/high_school/01j5m63arexrvt6r9tmr.jpg)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.
Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.
DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.
Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.
Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.
Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.
Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.
Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.
Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.
Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.
Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.
Mississippi
‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations
![‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations ‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations](https://gray-wlbt-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3KMJQZPKGBHNRCT7NENQ3O72YY.png?auth=8e7e3183f489f41a63616389bdae4dd45efc187856d208138265c67183c736b4&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It’s been one month since Thalia Mara Hall closed its doors due to a mold outbreak.
Innovation Arts and Entertainment is the company responsible for bringing Broadway productions to Jackson.
Representatives from the company visited Jackson after hearing the building had been closed.
CEO Adam Epstein says the City of Jackson did not inform them of the news.
“We did not find out from anybody within the city. We found out by reading news clippings forwarded to us by other people in Jackson,” Epstein said.
Certified Industrial Hygienic Testing reported visible dirt, debris, and suspected mold growth on many surfaces.
Epstein fears this could change the possibility of bigger shows coming to the capital city.
“They’re going to skip over us because of this mess. We need to show as a community that Jackson cares about this valuable asset and that we demand our elected leaders to support and treat this really, incredibly valuable asset with the TLC it deserves,” he said.
Thalia Mara Hall is the only venue in the state that can host a Broadway production due to the technical needs and accommodations required.
“Touring theatrical shows. If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all,” he said.
Broadway in Jackson is not only a great source of entertainment in the city, but it’s also beneficial economically.
“Those other businesses don’t benefit. The city doesn’t earn tax revenue from events that we present. They don’t earn rental income from the events we present. They don’t earn facility fees from the events we present. This is a real tragedy. It’s unacceptable.”
The well-being of the potential audience is the company’s main priority.
“I will not risk our ticket buyers’ health and safety and comfort. Our shows can and will cancel before we’d ever put somebody in jeopardy. We’ve issued a 100% guarantee of a full refund if the venue is not given a clean bill of health,” Epstein said.
All shows will be canceled on a case-to-case basis.
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Mississippi
Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says
![Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/07/11/USAT/9631b18b-dce5-449d-a448-47f4b71a9b44-MS-01.png?auto=webp&crop=3954,2224,x823,y443&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that killed seven and injured 36 people.
The deadly bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others early Saturday occurred after the vehicle experienced a tire failure, causing it to run off the road and overturn, officials and authorities said.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that left seven people dead and another 36 people injured. The collision occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus left the roadway and overturned.
The bus, which authorities described as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, traveled westbound when its left front tire failed, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference Sunday. The bus then moved onto an embankment and rolled over on its left side.
Inman added that investigators will be at the scene for at least another week and are looking into several factors of the crash, including the vehicle’s mechanical condition, motor carrier safety, the condition and experience of the driver, and environmental factors.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. Records show that in the 24 months before Saturday, the transit company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal crash, two injury collisions, and a crash requiring a tow truck.
The transit company has over 20 years of experience and provides trips between more than 100 destinations throughout Mexico and the United States, according to Autobuses Regiomontanos’ website.
“Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through,” Inman said.
7 killed, 36 injured in bus crash
The bus carried a total of 41 passengers and two drivers, according to authorities. It was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when the incident occurred.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, Stewart said.
Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals.
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said two victims killed in the crash were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, according to The New York Times. Authorities were working to identify the other victims.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
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