Attorneys Predict Further Legal Action Following DOJ Investigation
Attorneys representing two Black men tortured by Mississippi law enforcement officers expect more lawsuits to be filed against the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department. This comes as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launches a civil rights investigation into allegations of widespread brutality within the department.
The DOJ’s investigation was announced last Thursday, months after five former Rankin County deputies and one ex-Richland police officer were sentenced on federal criminal charges related to a violent, racist attack on Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker. The assault involved beatings, the use of stun guns, and sexual violence, culminating in one victim being shot in the mouth.
Pending Lawsuit and Calls for Accountability
Attorneys Malik Shabazz and Trent Walker, who are representing Jenkins and Parker, have already filed a lawsuit seeking $400 million in damages against the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department. Speaking at a press conference, Shabazz stated that more revelations and lawsuits would follow as new victims come forward.
“We stand by our convictions that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department over the last decade or more has been one of the worst-run sheriff’s departments in the country,” Shabazz said, calling for further accountability and the resignation of Sheriff Bryan Bailey.
The two attorneys also urged county supervisors to censure Bailey and criticized the county’s insurance coverage of $2.5 million per year as inadequate for compensating victims of brutality.
DOJ Investigation Into Civil Rights Violations
The DOJ’s investigation will examine whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has engaged in a pattern of excessive force, unlawful arrests, and racially discriminatory practices. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the department had received disturbing reports of racial slurs, unlawful home entries, and the excessive use of stun guns by deputies.
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has vowed to cooperate with the investigation, claiming to have already increased transparency by posting policies and procedures online.
Legacy of Racist Violence in Mississippi
The case has drawn parallels to Mississippi’s dark history of racially motivated violence by those in positions of power. However, the attorneys representing Jenkins and Parker noted that this time, the perpetrators faced real consequences for their crimes.
The DOJ’s investigation, coupled with ongoing lawsuits, may finally bring long-sought accountability for other victims of brutality in the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department.
