Christian Dedmon, Torture, Mississippi 2024

Rankin County, MS – Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced this week for torturing and abusing two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi.

Senior District Judge Tom Lee sentenced the defendants to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.

Christian Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Brett McAlpin, 53, former RCSO Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.

Hunter Elward, 31, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Jeffrey Middleton, 46, former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.

Daniel Opdyke, 28, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.

Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

According to the investigation, the defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them.

After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, ‘The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated, and they will now spend between 10 and 40 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect.’

‘These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them,’ Garland added.

The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, stated, ‘It is hard to imagine a more atrocious set of civil rights violations than those carried out by the defendants in this case.’

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, ‘By holding these officers accountable, we are sending a clear message that law enforcement abuse of Black people, or any American, will not be tolerated in our country.’

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi stated, ‘We expect our law enforcement officers to take seriously their oath to be our protectors, but these defendants instead chose to be predators on a hate-fueled power trip.’

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