Hunter Elward, a former Mississippi police officer, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for torturing two black men at his residence in 2023, the BBC reported.
Elward's sentencing is the first in a series of legal actions against the six officers involved in the atrocious 2023 case.
The victims were subjected to physical abuse in the form of beatings, electric shocks and sexual assault, which were committed by officers who aggressively broke into their apartment without a warrant. The seriousness of the crimes caught the attention of US District Judge Tom Lee, who described them as “heinous and despicable.”
Elward's four other co-defendants, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffery Middleton and Daniel Opydke, will be sentenced next. Each defendant faces multiple charges, some of which include civil rights violations, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and even lengthy prison sentences.
Prosecutors refer to the officers, who were called the “Goon Squad,” as defendants who acted under the guise that they were investigating a suspicious activity call made regarding Braxton. The characters, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, were subjected to a traumatic game that included insults based on racial hatred, physical assaults, and a botched mock execution.
During the court process, Elward admitted to raping Jenkins, but the victims insisted on harsh punishment for the devastation they had experienced. As a result, the exposure of additional misconduct, including a deeper pattern of violence in the department, highlights the systemic problems that exist in the law enforcement system, which is why scrutiny and legal action will continue.
