Police officer receives 20-year sentence for torturing two black men in Mississippi

Hunter Elward, a former cop in Mississippi, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for torturing two black men at their residence in 2023, BBC reported.

Elward's sentencing is the first in the line of a series of legal actions against the six officers implicated in the atrocious 2023 case.

The victims submitted to physical abuse in the forms of beatings, tasering, and sexual assault, which were committed by officers who aggressively broke into their apartment without a warrant. The severity of the crimes drew the attention of US District Judge Tom Lee as he described them as "egregious and despicable”.

Elward's other four co-defendants, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffery Middleton and Daniel Opydke, will be sentenced next. Each defendant faces multiple charges, some including civil rights violations, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and even up to lengthy prison sentences.

Prosecutors refer to the officers, who were called the “Goon Squad”, as the accused men who acted under the pretence that they were investigating a suspicious activity call made regarding Braxton. The characters, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker were subjected to a traumatic game involving slurs based on racial hatred, physical assaults, and a failed mock execution.

During the court proceedings, Elward admitted to violating Jenkins, but the victims insisted on getting a heavy 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 existing in the law enforcement system, which is the reason why scrutiny and legal action will continue.