The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday that it has initiated an investigation into a Mississippi sheriff’s department following the guilty pleas of six former officers known as the “Goon Squad” for state and federal charges related to the abuse and torture of two black men in 2023.
During the investigation, the DOJ will assess whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has violated federal law and the Constitution through actions such as illegal searches and seizures, discriminatory arrests, and unlawful stops.
Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the “heinous attack” carried out by the six officers on Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, which involved entering a woman’s home without a warrant and subjecting the two men to physical and verbal abuse, including racial slurs, excessive use of a stun gun, forced ingestion of liquids, and other forms of torture.
The officers also engaged in planting evidence, destroying surveillance footage, submitting false drug evidence, filing inaccurate reports, and making misleading statements to investigators.
The DOJ’s civil investigation is separate from the criminal prosecution of the six deputies and will focus on examining the department’s practices, policies, supervision, accountability systems, and training.
The DOJ has reached out to local organizations in Rankin County to gather input on their experiences with the sheriff’s department.
In response to the DOJ’s announcement, the sheriff’s department stated that it has enhanced transparency by publishing its policies and procedures on its website and providing a platform for the public to provide feedback. The department expressed willingness to cooperate fully with the investigation and welcomed input from the DOJ to improve its policies and practices.
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