In a shocking case of police brutality, six white former law enforcement officers from Mississippi, known as the "Goon Squad," have pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses after a disturbing incident in which they raided a home and brutally attacked two Black men. The officers, five of whom were former members of the Rankin County Sheriff's Office and one former Richland police officer, appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to charges including assault, civil rights conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.

According to court documents, on January 24, the officers forcibly entered a home in Braxton without a warrant. In a horrifying display of violence and racism, they handcuffed the two men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, and proceeded to assault them with tasers, beat them, and subject them to racial slurs. Shockingly, the officers had come prepared for their heinous acts, bringing along sex toys, firearms, stun guns, milk, eggs, alcohol, and chocolate syrup.

During the approximately 90-minute attack, the officers poured milk, alcohol, and chocolate syrup over the victims' faces, degrading and humiliating them. They even forced the victims to strip naked and shower to remove any potential evidence. Adding to their sadistic behavior, the officers tased the victims multiple times, apparently to test the electric currents of their respective law enforcement agencies. Two of the officers, Daniel Opdyke and Christian Dedmon, further assaulted the victims with sex toys, while Hunter Elward brutally shoved a gun into Jenkins' mouth and fired, causing severe injuries.

What is even more disturbing is that instead of providing medical aid to Jenkins, the officers callously discussed a cover-up plan involving fabricated charges and planting evidence. Their court documents revealed that they referred to themselves as the "Goon Squad," a nickname reflecting their willingness to use excessive force without reporting it. The incident was sparked by a complaint from a white neighbor who falsely claimed that Black individuals were staying at the home with a white woman. The officers, driven by racist beliefs, used derogatory slurs against the victims during the raid, compounding the brutality of their actions.

In response to this abhorrent incident, the victims, identified as M.J. and E.P. in court documents, have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $400 million in damages. The Rankin County Sheriff, Bryan Bailey, expressed deep shame and announced in June that all five deputies involved in the attack had been fired or resigned. He described the incident as the "most horrible incident of police brutality" he had encountered in his career.

The former officers now face a series of charges, including conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. If convicted, they could face maximum sentences ranging from 80 to 120 years in prison, as well as substantial fines. US Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the officers' actions, stating that they had "tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims" and "egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect."

Despite their guilty pleas in federal court, the former officers are also scheduled to plead guilty to state charges of assault, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice in the coming days. This case serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability and reform within the law enforcement system to prevent such horrific acts of brutality and racism from occurring in the future.