2 Former Mississippi Officers Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Torture of 2 Men

A federal judge sentenced two former Mississippi law enforcement officers to prison on Tuesday for torturing and abusing two Black men last year, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Hunter Elward, a 31-year-old former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputy, received a 20-year jail sentence, and Jeffrey Middleton, a 46-year-old ex-RCSO lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. The DOJ said in a press release that four other former law enforcement officers—Brett McAlpin, Christian Dedmon, Daniel Opdyke, and Joshua Hartfield—are set to be sentenced this week. All six defendants pleaded guilty last August 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....