Jackson, Mississippi – Two former Mississippi law enforcement officers received yearslong sentences from a federal judge for torturing two Black men in a brutal attack last year. The victims, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, were subjected to horrific abuse by individuals who were supposed to protect them. The incident began with a racist call and escalated into a violent assault based on race.
The sentencing took place in a packed courtroom, with Hunter Elward receiving about 20 years in prison and Jeffrey Middleton, the leader of the group that abused the men, receiving a 17.5-year prison sentence. Four other former officers involved in the crime are set to be sentenced later in the week. The judge, U.S. District Judge Tom Lee, condemned the actions of the former deputies as “egregious and despicable,” justifying a sentence at the top of the guidelines range.
The horrific ordeal started with a racist call for violence, leading a group of white deputies to attack Jenkins and Parker without a warrant. They assaulted the victims with stun guns, a gun shoved into Jenkins’ mouth, and physical objects, pouring substances over their faces and forcing them to strip naked. The victims were subjected to racial slurs, mock executions, and other forms of torture.
The abuse and cover-up that followed involved planting drugs and false charges against Jenkins and Parker. The victims, Jenkins and Parker, expressed their trauma through written statements read by their attorney. Jenkins spoke of the unimaginable suffering he endured and its lasting effects on his life. Elward, one of the defendants, expressed remorse for his actions, while Middleton acknowledged tarnishing the reputation of law enforcement.
The judge noted the involvement of Elward and Middleton in the attack and their roles in perpetuating a culture of violence within the group. The victims had called for the perpetrators to face the harshest penalties for their crimes. The incident also shed light on previous violent encounters involving some of the defendants, prompting calls for accountability and justice for the victims.
The defendants, including deputies and a police officer, have pleaded guilty to federal and state charges related to the torture of Jenkins and Parker. The victims have filed a civil lawsuit against the department and called for the resignation of the county sheriff. The case has raised concerns about systemic issues within law enforcement and the need for reform to prevent such atrocities from happening again.