Last of the Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ Officers Sentenced in Federal Court

The officers pleaded guilty to the assault and torture of two men in January 2023.

(from top, L–R) Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield appear at the Rankin County Circuit Court in Brandon, Miss., on Aug. 14, 2023. Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo

The final two members of the so-called “Goon Squad” of police officers in Mississippi were sentenced on Thursday in federal court for the January 2023 torture and assault of two black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker.

On Thursday afternoon, Judge Tom Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi sentenced Joshua Hartfield to a 10-year prison term.