'Monster' Mississippi 'goon squad' cop sobs as he is sentenced to 17.5 years in ... trends now
A third former Mississippi sheriff's deputy has been sentenced to nearly 18 years in prison for his part in the racist torture of two black men by a group of white officers who called themselves the 'Goon Squad'.
Daniel Opdyke, 28, pleaded guilty last year to breaking into a home without a warrant and torturing two black men with a stun gun, a sex toy and other objects.
The former Rankin County Sheriff's deputy cried as he spoke in court in Jackson before US District Judge Tom Lee handed down his sentence.
Turning to look at the two victims, he said that jail has given him time to reflect on 'how I transformed into the monster I became that night.'
Opdyke is one of six former law enforcement officers who admitted to subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to numerous acts of racist torture.
Former Rankin deputy Hunter Elward, 31, was given a nearly 20-year prison sentence while Jeffrey Middleton, 46, was ordered to serve almost 18 years behind bars.
Former Mississippi sheriff's deputy Daniel Opdyke, 28, has been sentenced to nearly 18 years in prison for his part in the racist torture of two black men by a group of white officers who called themselves the 'Goon Squad'
Michael Corey Jenkins, left, and Eddie Terrell Parker, right, stand with lead attorney Malik Shabazz, as they call on a federal judge Monday, March 18, 2024, to impose the harshest possible penalties
The officers charged in relation to the assault of Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker were (Top L-R) Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Christian Dedmon. (Bottom L-R) Hunter Elward, Daniel Opdyke, Joshua Hartfield
Before his sentencing Opdyke looked in the direction of the two victims and said: 'The weight of my actions and the harm I’ve caused will haunt me every day. I wish I could take away your suffering.'
One of the victims, Parker, rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes, then stood up and left the courtroom before Opdyke finished speaking.
Judge Lee said Opdyke may not have been fully aware of what being a member of the Goon Squad entailed when Middleton asked him to join, but he did know it involved using excessive force.
'You were not a passive observer, you actively participated in that brutal attack,' Lee said.'
Christian Dedmon, 29, is also set to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon while fellow former deputy Brett McAlpin, 53, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield, 32, are set for sentencing Thursday. They face lengthy prison terms.
Elward, who had admitted to shoving a gun into Jenkins’ mouth and firing in a 'mock execution,' addressed the victims during his sentencing.
'I’m so sorry,' the disgraced former cop said. 'I don’t want to get too personal with you, Michael. There’s no telling what you’ve seen. I’m so sorry that I caused that. I hate myself for it. I hate that I gave you that. I accept all responsibility.'
Jenkins nodded while Parker stood up and said, 'We forgive you, man.'
The two black men who were subjected to torture that included one of them being shot in the mouth during a mock execution by a group of cops known as 'The Goon Squad' had previously said they wanted their tormentors to be punished to the full extent of the law.
The former cops admitted in August to subjecting Jenkins and Parker to numerous acts of racially motivated, violent torture.
