Hunter Elward, 31, a former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the torture and abuse of two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi. Elward’s co-defendant, Jeffrey Middleton, 46, a former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
The crime occurred on an unspecified date when Elward and Middleton, along with four other former law enforcement officers, 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.
The defendants pleaded guilty to multiple felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice in 2023.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued a statement condemning the actions of the defendants, saying, “These defendants will spend 20 years and 17.5 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn an oath to protect.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is handling the case.
Elward and Middleton’s sentences were handed down in Mississippi state court.
The case highlights the importance of holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions and ensuring that they uphold the public trust.
Related Federal Cases
- James McGrew, Assaulting Officers, Mississippi 2021 · Mississippi
- Samir Ousman Alsheikh Ordered Torture, Damascus Syria, 2023 · Tennessee
- Joshua Mark Davis, Threatening to Damage and Destroy a Building, Mississippi 2022 · Mississippi
- Daniel James Blevins, Domestic Abuse by Habitual Offender, MT 2018 · Texas
- Bayliss Morris Jenkins, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Mississippi 2021 · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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