Crime
A fourth former deputy is sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the torture and sexual assault of black men
ACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A fourth former Mississippi sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Wednesday for his role in racist torture of two black men by a bunch of white officers who called themselves the “Goon Squad”, sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
Christian Dedmon, 29, didn’t take a look at the victims as he apologized and said he would never forgive himself for the pain he had caused.
All six former officers charged in the case pleaded guilty last 12 months, admitting that they subjected Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to quite a few acts of racist torture in January 2023 after a neighbor complained that the men were in the house with white woman. Prosecutors said Dedmon hit the men with a sex toy and threatened to brutalize them.
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee said Wednesday that Dedmon carried out the most “shocking, brutal and vicious attacks imaginable” on Jenkins and Parker and on a white man during a traffic stop weeks earlier.
Jenkins, who still has difficulty speaking due to his injuries, said in an announcement read by his lawyer that Dedmon’s behavior was the most depraved of those that attacked him.
“Deputy Dedmon is the worst example of a police officer in the United States,” Jenkins said. “Deputy Dedmon was the most aggressive, the sickest and the most vile.”
Hours before Dedmon was sentenced, former officer Daniel Opdyke, 28, cried profusely as he spoke before the judge announced his 17.5-year prison sentence. Turning to take a look at the two victims, Opdyke said the isolation behind bars gave him time to reflect on “how I turned into the monster I became that night.”
“The gravity of my actions and the harm I have caused will haunt me every day,” Opdyke told them. “I wish I could take away your suffering.”
Parker rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes, then stood and left the courtroom before Opdyke finished speaking. Jenkins said he was “heartbroken” and “ashamed” by the cruel actions committed against him.
The judge said Opdyke may not have been fully aware of what being a member of the Goon Squad meant when Lt. Jeffrey Middleton asked him to join, but he knew it involved the use of excessive force.
“You weren’t a passive observer,” Lee said. “You actively participated in this brutal attack.”
All six former officers pleaded guilty last 12 months to breaking right into a home with no warrant and torturing Black men with a stun gun, a sex toy and other objects.
On TuesdayLee sentenced Hunter Elward, 31, to nearly 20 years in prison and Middleton, 46, to 17.5 years in prison, calling their actions “outrageous and despicable.” Like Opdyke and Dedmon, they were working as Rankin County sheriff’s deputies at the time of the attack.
Another former police deputy, Brett McAlpin, 53, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield, 32, will go on trial Thursday.
Last March, a couple of months before federal prosecutors announced the charges in August, an investigation by the Associated Press linked some deputies to at the very least 4 violent encounters with black men since 2019, which left two people dead and one with lasting injuries.
The former officers clung to their cover for months until they finally pleaded guilty that they tortured Michael Corey Jenkins and Parker. Elward admitted to putting a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and firing it as part of a “mock execution” that went fallacious.
In an announcement Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the “heinous attack on the citizens they were sworn to protect.”
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The terror began on January 24, 2023, with a racist incitement to extrajudicial violence, when a white Rankin County resident complained to McAlpin that two black men were staying with a white woman in a house in Braxton. McAlpin told Dedmon texted a bunch of white deputies asking in the event that they were “available to participate in the mission.” “No bad mug shots,” he texted, which prosecutors say gives the green light to use excessive force on body parts that do not appear in the booking photo.
Once inside, they handcuffed Jenkins and his friend Parker and poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup in their faces. They forced them to strip naked and take a shower together to hide the mess. They taunted the victims with racist insults and shocked them with stun guns. Dedmon and Opdyke attacked them with a sex toy.
After Elward shot Jenkins in the mouth, splitting his tongue and breaking his jaw, they hatched a cover-up that included planting drugs and a gun. For months, false allegations were made against Jenkins and Parker.
Majority-white Rankin County lies east of the state capital, Jackson, and is home to one of the highest percentages of black residents of any major U.S. city. Officers yelled at Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” court documents say.
Opdyke was the first to admit what they did, his lawyer Jeff Reynolds said Wednesday. On April 12, he showed investigators a WhatsApp text thread in which officers discussed their plan and what happened. If he had thrown the phone into the river, as another officers did, investigators may not have discovered the encrypted messages.
Reynolds also said Opdyke experienced sexual assault as a baby and viewed older deputies as father figures. That made him susceptible to a culture of misconduct inside the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Reynolds said.
“When a new officer gets there, he starts indoctrinating people,” Reynolds said. “Where is the real leadership? Why aren’t they in this court?”
Dedmon, who planted drugs on Jenkins to frame him on false charges, said he was promoted to the position of drug investigator not despite his bad behavior, but because of it.
“It’s because instead of doing the right thing, I chose to do the wrong thing,” Dedmon said.
Dedmon, like Opdyke and Elward, also pleaded guilty to collaborating in the assault of a white man during a traffic stop on December 4, 2022 – weeks before Jenkins and Parker were tortured. On Tuesday, prosecutors released the victim’s identity as Alan Schmidt. Reynolds said Opdyke held Schmidt until Dedmon arrived but didn’t beat him or sexually assault him.
The Associated Press doesn’t typically name individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified or come forward publicly.
Schmidt’s statement, which prosecutors read in court, shows that Dedmon accused him of possessing stolen property. Schmidt said he was handcuffed, taken out of the vehicle and beaten until he “started seeing spots.”
Prosecutors said Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene when Dedmon punched and kicked him, used a stun gun on him, fired a gun into the air while threatening him and then sexually assaulted him.
“What kind of sick person does that?” – Schmidt wrote in his statement.
Dedmon admitted firing the gun into the air to intimidate Schmidt but denied sexual assault. Prosecutors said they read details of the sexual assault into the court file when Dedmon pleaded guilty, and Dedmon said he agreed with the facts presented.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, who took office in 2012 and was re-elected in November after nobody got here forward against him, has released no details about his deputies’ actions, announcing they were fired last June. After they he pleaded guilty in August, Bailey said officers had gone rogue and promised changes. Jenkins and Parker called on him to resign and contributed $400 million civil lawsuit against the faculty.
The federal sexual process of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose extremely successful occupation was dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York with the alternative of a jury, which was briefly detained when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a bit nervous” and needed a break in the bathroom.
Three dozen potential jury was questioned by judge Aruna Subramaanian about their response to the questionnaire, which is also to help determine whether or not they is perhaps honest and impartial at the trial through which violent and sexual movies will appear. Opening declarations and the starting of the testimony are scheduled for the next week.
The judge gave a possible sworn to a transient lived description of sexual trade and a conspiracy from tribute to Combs, telling them that he didn’t plead guilty and it was thought that this was not innocent.
At the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size, because some were excluded for personal reasons, resembling the inability to economically endure the process anticipated for two months or because their opinions or previous experience would threaten their objectivity.
The next thirty potential jurors were to be questioned on Tuesday. The jury was not going before Wednesday.
Throughout Monday, Combs, 55 years, sat along together together along together together together along together along together along along together together together together together together along together together along along together along together together together together along along together along along along together along together along along along along together together along together along together together together together together together together along together together together along along together together together together together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together together together along together along together together together along along along together along along along together along along together along together together together along along along together together along together together together along along along along together together together together together along together along together along together along together along along along along together together together together together together together along along along together together together along together along along along together along together along along together along along together together along together together along together together along along along together together together together along along along together along together together together together along together along along together together along along along together together together together together together along along along along together along together together along along together together along along along together together together along together together together together together along along along along together together together together along together along along together together along together along along along together together together along together together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along together together together along along together along along together together along along together along along together together together together together together together together together together together along along along along along together together with his lawyers in a sweater above a white shirt with a collar and gray pants that the judge allowed as a alternative of prison clothes. Since his arrest, it took place in a dismal federal blockade in Brooklyn. His hair and goat were almost fully gray because the dye is not allowed in prison.
Unlike the other latest loud celebrity processes, the Combs case won’t be broadcast live, because the federal courtroom doesn’t allow electronic recordings in the middle-what signifies that the artists of the sketch of the courtroom are the eyes of the public in the courtroom.
If he is convicted of all the allegations, he could face the maximum life in prison.
Several potential jury indicated that they saw press reports containing key evidence on this matter: a video with a hip-hop tycoon striking and kicking one amongst his prosecutors in the corridor in the hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. One potential juror described a stationary picture that she saw from the film as “condemning evidence.” This woman was rejected from the consideration.
After releasing one other juror, Combs asked for a break in the bathroom, telling the judge: “I’m sorry your honor, I’m a bit nervous today.”
One potential juror said that she published a “similar” film in social media by a comedian who joked about large amounts of oil for infants found by law enforcement agencies in one amongst the houses of Combs. Has not been released.
The 17-page indictment against Combs-which appears like an accusation document against the mafia leader or the head of the drug gang-he is confirmed that Combs have been involved in twenty years of racketeers of behavior towards women and others, with the help of people in his funeral and employees from his network of corporations.
Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and every group sex was compatible. They say that there was no effort to force people to do it, and nothing that happened was a criminal rocket.
Prosecutors say that girls were manipulated in sexual ends in sexual results with sexual men, which the Combs called “freaks”. To keep women in a queue, prosecutors say that Combs used a mix of influence and violence: he suggested that he would increase their entertainment occupation in the event that they did what he asked – or breathe or not.
And when he didn’t get what he wanted, the indictment says that Combs and his colleagues resorted to violent deeds, including beating, kidnapping and arson. Once, in accordance with the indictment, he even hung someone from the balcony.
One of the 4 alleged victims of the testimony against Combs may not finally take the position of a witness, on Monday he revealed the assistant to the US prosecutor Maurene Comey. She told Subramanian that a lady’s lawyer had personal problems and it was difficult to get and it was clear if the woman would also appear.
“There is no special number that requires her testimony so that we can bear our burden,” said Comey.
Combs recognized one episode of violence, which is considered a key element of the prosecutor’s case. In 2016, the security camera recorded him that he defeated his ex -girlfriend, R&B Cassie singer, in the corridor of the hotel in Los Angeles. Cassie filed a lawsuit at the end of 2023, saying that Combs gave her years abuse, including beating and rape.
Associated Press normally doesn’t call individuals who claim that they were sexually abused, unless they report in public as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
(Tagstotransate) Diddy
Smokey Robinson was accused of sexual assault by four former employees.
On Tuesday, May 6, a state of $ 50 million was filed within the Supreme Court in Los Angeles against an 85-12 months-old singer by four Jane, accusing him of a sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, genital violence and making a hostile work environment.
In accordance with court documents obtained by People magazineIN The New York PostAND DiversityEach of the explanations was employed as housewives.
In his criticism, the primary Jane Doe claims that his wife, Frances Robinson, had “full knowledge about his earlier activities of improper sexual behavior” and “did not take appropriate repair actions” to forestall his “unnecessary rewind” even after the previous cases of previous cases of sexual assault with other women.
He also claims that the primary sexual assault she experienced took place in March 2023 and that she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her.
The second Jane Doe, who said that she worked for a pair in 2014-2020, claims that she was forced to depart after she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her, which, he claims, began in 2016.
Jane Doe #3, who said that she worked as a Smokey hostess from 2012 to 2024, also claims that she was forced to resign attributable to repetitive incidents “sexual assault and sexual harassment” as in accordance with the criticism. In addition, he claims within the criticism that Smokey “raped her” from behind “at least 20 times” after forcing her to “lying face down” in a towel.
The fourth hostess within the criticism, who worked for the accused in 2006–2024, said that she was forced to resign after “multiple sexual assault and sexual harassment”, which began in 2007.
The plaintiffs who’re represented by the law company Harris & Hayden are searching for compensation of USD 50,000,000.
At a press conference in the middle of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, lawyer John Harris described Robinson as a “serial asaulter” NPR Reported. The lawyer added how the Celebrity of the Motown Legend threatened women to silence, especially since they were employees with low salaries “live with payments.” In addition to break, women ask for a trial.
(Tagstranslat) news
Crime
Former NFL player Kevin Ware Jr. Sentenced to 30 years for the murder of a former girl in 2021
The former NFL player pleaded guilty in Harris in Texas and agreed to a 30-year sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and for accusation of manipulation and medicines, in accordance with Houston’s Fox 26.
Kevin Ware, Jr., former footballer of the University of Washington, who appeared in 16 matches for each commanders from Washington (at a time after they were referred to as Redskins), in addition to San Francisco 49ers in 2003 and 2004, accepted the contract in reference to the murder of his former leading Taylor Pomaska.
Pomaski was recently seen at the party in her spring in Texas on April 21, 2021. According to peopleThe Harris Sheriff Department didn’t have any tips about its disappearance, but later found human stays in a ditch in the northern part of the Fountain at the end of 2021. The stays were identified as Puppet in April 2022.
According to court acts, Ware allegedly told one other woman that he cut the throat of the pomaski and burned her body. In the charging documents, Ware was accused of using a knife and suffocation, amongst others to murder Pomaski.
The agreement approved by Ware applies to 30 years for murder and manipulation of evidence, in particular the corpse. Just five days before the disappearance of the pomaska, Ware was arrested for having drugs and the intention to provide a controlled substance. In this case, he took a separate agreement on the allegations and received 15 years, which can serve concurrently with a sentence for murder.
(Tagstranslate) crime
