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Between vacation photos and cookout invitations posted on their private text thread, a group of Mississippi sheriff’s deputies who called themselves the Goon Squad traded pictures of rotting corpses and joked about rape and shocking people with Tasers. An encrypted WhatsApp group chat obtained by The New York Times and Mississippi Today provides a yearslong record of the day-to-day conversations of a patrol unit involved in terrorizing residents across a central Mississippi county for a generation. The Goon Squad came to national attention last year after Rankin County sheriff’s deputies tortured two Black men in their home and shot one of them in the face, nearly killing him. Six officers, including three from the Goon Squad shift, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison in March. An investigation by The Times and Mississippi Today last fall revealed that nearly two dozen residents experienced similar brutality when Rankin deputies burst into their homes looking for illegal drugs.

Persons: Rankin Organizations: Goon Squad, The New York Times, Mississippi Today, The Times, Mississippi Locations: Mississippi, Rankin

Today "is a day we've long awaited," attorney Malik Shabazz said after six White former Mississippi officers were sentenced in state court for torturing and abusing his clients Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins. The court has "given out justice," Shabazz said. In departing from the initial recommendations of "low" prison sentences for the squad, the judge "set a new standard here in Rankin County, that police brutality will not be tolerated in Rankin County," Shabazz said. Jenkins also reacted to the sentencing, telling reporters that it's been "a long time coming."

Persons: Malik Shabazz, Eddie Parker, Michael Jenkins, Shabazz, Jenkins, it's Locations: Mississippi, Rankin County

☆ 6 ex-officers who pleaded guilty in ‘Goon Squad’ torture of 2 Black men sentenced in state court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Emma Tucker | Holly Yan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

– Middleton was sentenced in state court to 20 years in prison, which will run concurrently with his federal sentence of 17.5 years. – Opdyke was sentenced in state court to 20 years in prison, to run concurrently with his federal sentence of 17.5 years. – Hartfield was sentenced in state court to 15 years in prison, to run concurrently with his federal sentence of 10 years. – Dedmon was sentenced in state court to 25 years in prison, to run concurrently with his federal sentence of 40 years. – McAlpin was sentenced in state court to 20 years in prison, to run concurrently with his federal sentence of just over 27 years.

Persons: Michael Jenkins, Eddie Parker, – Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Daniel Opdyke, Jeffrey Middleton –, Joshua Hartfield, Jenkins, Malik Shabazz, “, Eddie, Hunter Elward, ” Jenkins, ” Eddie Terrell Parker, Michael Corey Jenkins, Rogelio V . Solis, Dedmon, Elward, – Elward, – Middleton, – Opdyke, – Hartfield, – Dedmon, – McAlpin, Brandon –, Parker, Opdyke –, Lynn Fitch, Middleton, ” picturing, Angela English, ”, Sheriff Bryan Bailey, Jason Dare, Bailey, jailers, Fitch, Eddie Terrell Parker, ” Fitch, CNN’s Devon Sayers, Ryan Young Organizations: Mississippi CNN —, Richland Police Department, NAACP, Confederate, Justice, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Justice, Sheriff’s Department, CNN, Civil Rights Unit Locations: Brandon, Mississippi, Rankin, Rankin County, Braxton, McAlpin, Middleton, Opdyke, Jackson

☆ Opinion: Trump’s image is on the line
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. … Deals are my art form.”Having a lot of money distinguished him from other presidential candidates, Trump contended. ‘I don’t need anybody’s money,’ Trump said in his June 2015 presidential campaign announcement.”“Now Trump needs money, a lot of it. In July 2006, she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament and says that the two had sex that weekend. “Whatever the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court decide next, the question for President Joe Biden is what to do now,” wrote Lawrence Downes.

Persons: Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, Micawber, ” Micawber, “, Dickens, Donald Trump, Letitia James, Trump, he’ll, ”, Tony Schwartz, I’ve, Frida Ghitis, ’ Trump, … Dana Summers, Joe Biden’s, Julian Zelizer, Biden’s, ” Bill Bramhall, Stormy Daniels, Peacock, Ana Marie Cox, Daniels, she’s, Peter Navarro, He’s, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans —, Matt Gaetz ’, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson, Clay Jones, Paul Sracic, Fareed Zakaria, Biden, Peter Bergen, Bashar al, Assad, ” Bergen, Vladimir Putin, Richard Aboulafia, ” David Horsey, Joann, Lynda Gorov, it’s, ” Kate Middleton’s, Princess, Wales, Sara Stewart, Kate, that’s, she’ll, Joe Biden, Lawrence Downes, “ Biden, Greg, Abbott, ’, ” Downes, Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Donald Trump’s, Aseel Mousa, Drew Sheneman, Max Besbris, ” Besbris, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘, ” Don’t, Grace Elizabeth Hale, Elizabeth Yuko, Avi Weiss, Jennifer Jones, Jill Filipovic, Christine Blasey Ford Derrick Johnson, Peter Rutland, Holly Thomas, Lily Allen, Mary Ziegler, Lanhee Chen, Steve Garvey, Adam Schiff, Patricia Grisafi, Caitlin Clark Walt Handelsman, Caitlin Clark, Amy Bass, Kamilla Cardoso, UCLA’s Kiki Rice, ’ ” Clark, Bass, Pete ’ Maravich, Court, Serena Williams, Clark, Maravich …, — Organizations: CNN, New, Trump, Agency, Twitter, Save, Maga Inc, Biden, Content Agency Trump, House Republicans, Rep, Ohio GOP, Russia ISIS, ISIS, Boeing, Airbus, Crafts, Boys, BBC Studios, Circuit, Texas Gov, Abbott, of Justice, Texans, Harvard, National Association of Realtors, United Nations, “, University of Iowa, ESPN, Iowa Hawkeyes, NCAA Division Locations: Save America, New York, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Ohio, Russia, Moscow, Iraq, Syria, Syrian, “, Iran, Afghanistan, ”, Ukrainian, Windsor, ” Texas, Texas, Gaza, Southern, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Gaza City, Al, Grace Elizabeth Hale : Mississippi, ‘, California

Six former law enforcement officers who called themselves the Goon Squad face sentencing in Mississippi starting today, months after they pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses for torturing and sexually assaulting two Black men and a third white man who has remained anonymous until now. Prosecutors are expected to detail the officers’ violent actions, and victims will have an opportunity to share their stories. The officers could speak publicly for the first time if they choose to talk about their crimes or ask the judge for leniency. Hunter Elward, who pleaded guilty to shooting one of the victims, is scheduled to be sentenced first, on Tuesday morning. The other officers will then be sentenced during individual hearings.

Persons: Hunter Elward Organizations: Prosecutors Locations: Mississippi, Jackson, Miss

☆ Judge delays sentencing for Mississippi police 'goon squad' that tortured and sexually assaulted two Black men
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA federal judge has, for the second time, postponed sentencing for six former Mississippi cops who pleaded guilty to a long list of state and federal charges for torturing two Black men. Sentencing had been set to begin on January 16, but a court hearing schedule shows that US District Judge Tom Lee has pushed back sentencing to March 19. In October, he granted motions from some former officers to delay sentencing after their attorneys said they needed more time to evaluate sentencing reports and prepare objections. The men admitted in August to subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to numerous acts of racially motivated, violent torture. AdvertisementProsecutors say some of the officers called themselves the "Goon Squad" because of their willingness to use excessive force and cover up attacks.

Persons: —, Tom Lee, Michael Corey Jenkins, Eddie Terrell Parker, Jenkins, Parker, Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield Organizations: Service, Mississippi, Business, Rankin County, Associated Press, Prosecutors Locations: Rankin, Richland

☆ A group of Mississippi cops terrorized residents for more than two decades almost entirely unchecked
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Business Insider previously sued the sheriff's department for records related to police brutality. AdvertisementA number of deputies within the Rankin County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi got away with abusing people for years, almost entirely unchecked. Loveday told The Times. A spokesperson for the Rankin County Sheriff's Department did not return a request for comment from Business Insider. Lee told Business Insider that she didn't understand the jury's decision because the evidence of the beating was "in his face."

Persons: —, Michael Jenkins, Eddie Terrell Parker, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Paloma Wu, Brett McAlpin, Rick Loveday, Rankin, McAlpin, Loveday, Sheriff Bryan Bailey, Elward, Damien Cameron, Monica Lee, Cameron's, Lee, Monica Lee Elward, Pierre Woods, Vanessa Barrett, Dris Mitchell, Woods, Bailey, Dedmon, Woods's Organizations: Mississippi, The New York Times, Business, Service, Sheriff's Department, Rankin, sheriff's Department, Mississippi Bureau, Investigation, Mississippi Today, The Times, Hinds County sheriff's, Times Locations: Rankin, Mississippi, Hinds

Ms. Dettore and Mr. Grozier were each fined several hundred dollars, and she has since left Rankin County. After Mr. McAlpin arrested Mr. Loveday and accused him of consorting with drug dealers, he ordered him to leave town. Before he left Mississippi, Mr. Loveday said, he called Sheriff Bailey personally to warn him about his deputies’ behavior. He called Mr. Loveday a dirty cop and accused him of secretly recording the call. Then, Mr. Loveday said, “He hung up on me.”Jerry Mitchell , Ilyssa Daly , Eric Sagara and Irene Casado Sanchez contributed reporting.

Persons: Robert Grozier, Christian Dedmon, Dettore, Grozier, Hobson, Loveday, McAlpin, ”, Sheriff Bailey, Bailey, “, ” Jerry Mitchell, Ilyssa Daly, Eric Sagara, Irene Casado Sanchez, Kitty Bennett Organizations: Big Local, Stanford University, Pulitzer Center Locations: Rankin County, Mississippi

☆ Mississippi Sheriff Whose Deputies Tortured Black People Is Reelected
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey won reelection after running unopposed. Bailey refused to resign after five Rankin sheriff's deputies were convicted of torturing Black men. Those deputies called themselves the "Goon Squad" for their willingness to use excessive force. Rankin County, home to several Jackson suburbs, is the largest county in Mississippi, with a population of almost 160,000, according to the US Census. Five were deputies for the Rankin County Sheriff's Office, and one was an officer for the Richland Police Department.

Persons: Sheriff Bryan Bailey, Bailey, Rankin, —, — Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield —, Michael Corey Jenkins, Eddie Terrell Parker, Elward, Jenkins, Angela English, Bailey's Undersheriff Paul Holley, Jason Dare, Tate Reeves Organizations: NAACP, Service, Sheriff's Office, Richland Police Department, The New York Times, Mississippi Today Locations: Rankin, Mississippi, Rankin County, Jackson, Braxton , Mississippi

(AP) — A federal judge has postponed sentencing for six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to a long list of federal charges for torturing two Black men in January. Lee has not yet rescheduled the sentencing hearing, but some of the former officers requested it be delayed until Dec. 15. The men admitted in August to subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to numerous acts of racially motivated, violent torture. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesThe officers taunted the men with racial slurs and poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup over their faces. “Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker are urging that the sentencing for the ‘Goon Squad’ members ... take place as quickly as possible," Shabazz said.

Persons: JACKSON, Tom Lee, Lee, Michael Corey Jenkins, Eddie Terrell Parker, Jenkins, Parker, Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield, Malik Shabazz, “ Michael Jenkins, Eddie Parker, Shabazz, Michael Jenkins, ___ Michael Goldberg Organizations: —, District, Rankin County, Associated Press, ” Prosecutors, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: MISS, Mississippi, U.S, Braxton, Rankin, Richland, @mikergoldberg

☆ Opinion | The Palestinian Republic of Fear and Misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

As with many other Palestinian journalists, Said’s primary source of income was working with foreign reporters as a “fixer,” someone who could arrange difficult meetings, translate from Arabic, show you around. Said had an independent streak and he was no fan of Yasir Arafat, which made him particularly helpful in cutting through the Palestinian Authority’s propagandistic bombast. With Said, I interviewed senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, officials in Ramallah, retired terrorists in Nablus, political dissidents in Jenin and construction workers in Hebron. The Palestinian territories, by contrast, are republics of fear — fear of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and of Hamas in Gaza. During the first major Israel-Hamas war, in 2008 and 2009, Palestinian groups claimed the death toll was mostly civilian, with roughly 1,400 people killed.

Persons: Said, Yasir Arafat, ”, I’ll, Gaza’s Shifa, Hani al, Agha, Israel, — Organizations: Street, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, West Bank, Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Locations: Palestinian, Gaza, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Israel, Gaza’s, Pyongyang, —

(AP) — The Mississippi sheriff who leads the department where former deputies pleaded guilty to a long list of state and federal charges for the torture of two Black men has asked a federal court to dismiss a civil lawsuit against him. Court records show that attorney Jase Dare asked to dismiss the lawsuit on Oct. 6, just one day after a settlement conference was filed with the court. A settlement conference is scheduled when the parties in a lawsuit try to settle a case before trial. One of those men was Pierre Woods, who was shot and killed by Rankin County deputies in 2019. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Persons: JACKSON, Michael Corey Jenkins, Eddie Terrell Parker, Bryan Bailey's, Jenkins, Parker's, Bailey, “, Jase Dare, Malik Shabazz, Trent Walker, ’, Bryan Bailey’s, Walker, Parker, Hunter Elward, Pierre Woods, Rankin, Woods, Brett McAlpin, Dare, McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield, ___ Michael Goldberg Organizations: Prosecutors, Associated Press, U.S, Circuit, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Miss, The Mississippi, Rankin, Elward, Richland, @mikergoldberg

☆ 6 ex-officers, some of whom called themselves 'The Goon Squad,' expected to plead guilty in alleged torture of 2 Black men
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Dakin Andone | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty Monday to all state charges against them stemming from the torture and abuse of two Black men earlier this year. Additionally, Dedmon was charged with home invasion and Elward was charged with home invasion and aggravated assault, the release says. McAlpin, Middleton, Opdyke and Hartfield each faced an additional charge of first-degree obstruction of justice. The Richland Police Department announced in July that Hartfield – who was off-duty at the time of the alleged assault – had resigned. An attorney for Opdyke said the former officer “has admitted to his wrongdoing” and will plead guilty to all charges against him in Rankin County Circuit Court on August 14.

Persons: –, Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield, Dedmon, Elward, McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton Jerome DeLoach, Michael Jenkins, Eddie Parker, Jenkins, Brett McAlpin Forrest, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, Hartfield –, Joshua Hartfield Forrest, Opdyke, “, ”, Parker, Jeffery Reynolds Organizations: CNN, Sheriff’s Office, Richland Police, Mississippi Attorney General’s, Justice Department, Adult Detention, Rankin County, Richland Police Department, AP CNN, Dedmon Locations: Mississippi, Rankin, Middleton, Opdyke, Braxton , Mississippi, Elward, Rankin County

☆ Tasers, taunts, torment: What we know about the hours of horror 2 Black men suffered at the hands of a self-described 'Goon Squad'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Dedmon, Opdyke and Elward broke open the carport door and Hartfield kicked open the back door. Entering the home without a warrant, the officers encountered two Black men: Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins. The abuse continued in a bedroom, where Opdyke, Middleton, Dedmon and McAlpin assaulted Parker with pieces of wood and a metal sword. Dedmon, Middleton, Hartfield and Elward then began to tase the two men repeatedly to see “which (Taser) was the most powerful,” the document said. Attorneys for Middleton, Elward and Hartfield declined to comment on the case.

Persons: Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, Brett McAlpin, White, Dedmon, ” Dedmon, Joshua Hartfield, McAlpin, Jerome DeLoach, Elward, Hartfield, Eddie Parker, Michael Jenkins, Parker, Jenkins, —, Mary Helen Wall, Kristen Clarke, tased, Brett McAlpin Forrest, Jenkins –, Opdyke, defecated, Jeffrey Middleton Jerome DeLoach, Elward’s Taser, Middleton, Daniel Opdyke Jerome DeLoach, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, CNN Parker, Sheriff Bailey, Joshua Hartfield orrest, “, ”, Jeffery Reynolds, Bailey, CNN’s Ryan Young, ” Parker, “ You’re, ” Jenkins, he’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Adult Detention, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Department of Public, Rankin, Detention, Mississippi Attorney General’s, Dedmon Locations: Rankin County , Mississippi, Braxton, Jackson, Mississippi, Rankin County, Black, Opdyke, Middleton, Dedmon, Hartfield, McAlpin, Elward

☆ How Putin's Russian goon squad used Mexican gig workers to troll an American election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Posting to social media sounded like an easy work-from-home gig, so he applied. This post from the Prigozhin-backed Social CMS network in Mexico referred to America as "we." He verified his account by providing chat transcripts, screenshots, contracts, and internal company documents. But just because Social CMS didn't yield an immediate, large-scale impact doesn't mean it should be ignored. "I didn't know who are you," wrote the person who is listed in the corporate directory as Prigozhin's media liaison.

☆ A new study confirms it: The pandemic turned us all into jerks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Graceless under pressureTo see how the pandemic affected us, researchers looked at the so-called Big Five personality traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness. But the new study found a surprising shift during the pandemic — roughly equivalent to what they'd expect from 10 years of life, not two. During the first months of the pandemic, Sutin's team found little personality change. "The only thing that went wrong," says Brent Roberts, a psychologist and expert in personality change at the University of Illinois, "is the goddamn pandemic kept going." For some Americans, the most stressful thing about the pandemic was experts telling them they should help people they don't like.

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