Rankin County Mississippi
By
Professor Zaki Amir the invisibleman
To rank on somebody meant to talk badly about their mother which would always bring about a physical altercation. Walking into a store in some Afrodescendant neighborhoods there “Mom and Pop” stores in some cases European owned, but today, is owned by Middle Eastern Muslims who sell cigarettes, swine and alcohol in our communities.
You could smell a pungent odor attached to the meat, but we bought it anyway, didn’t we. Oh, lost my focus. But that is the point, we as Afrodescendants have allowed ourselves to be the brunt of American brutality from slavery to this day.
How many times have you seen the “Eyes on the Prize” documentary or commemorated “Bloody Sunday”? Just to think of the case of our brother “Emmett Till” is enough to “Make a Grown” man cry.
Mississippi has long been held out to be the “Bastion” of contempt, disdain, outright hatred and racism for Afrodescendants. But the latest example of police brutality reported went far beyond lynching, or the assassination of Medgar Evers in its status as a dangerous place for Afrodescendants to live.
Let’s review: The Afrodescenant men’s nightmare began after reports of “Suspicious” goings on at the residence of a Caucasian neighbor reached the local Sheriff’s department.
The “Goon Squad” a self given name due to their use of excessive force came out on the call on January 24, 2023 in an area southeast of Jackson, Mississippi’s capitol.
In response to the call, the use of tasers, water boarding and the usual applications of beating, kicking and punching with sexual assault, attempted murder along with racial slurs sprinkled about for good measure were the egregious crimes committed by these uniformed Sheriff’s Deputies.
Strangely though, the attempted murder of Mr. Michael Jenkins by Officer Eldward shooting him in the mouth is truly unbelievable, but not any less believable than Officer Chauvin applying his knee to Mr. Floyd causing his death.
In America, Afrodescendant women children and men die at the hands of law enforcement officials for all kinds of reasons. Usually the “Officers” suffer no repercussions or punishment by the legislative and justice branches of local and county governments based on “Qualified Immunity.”
As a legal principle it is a federal constitutional law that grants government officials performing discretionary (optional) functions immunity from lawsuits for damages unless the plaintiff shows that the official violated clearly established statutory or constitutional rights which a reasonable person would have known.
This case brought national attention to the goings on in Rankin County, Mississippi as Malik Z. Shabazz their attorney properly shined light on the tragic circumstances of his clients.
Tuesday March 19th, the music of justice for two of the six officers was played for their ears to hear. They were found guilty of criminal behavior in courtroom proceedings, ending any legal wrangling.
Former Officer Elward, was shackled in chains awaiting the verdict as federal prosecutors told of his actions he perpetrated while in uniform.
Elward, Middleton and Opdyke boasted of their status as “Goon Squad” members. Middleton stared straight ahead and made no eye contact with the victims during his sentencing.
Southern District of Mississippi US District Court Judge Tom Lee overruled Middleton’s attorney’s arguments that Middleton played a minimal or minor role in the torture of Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Parker.
The two disgraced former officers were ordered to pay $79,500 in restitution to the victims and Mr. Jenkins said outside the courthouse: “It’s a long time coming. I’ve been through a lot and this is it, this is what I want to see.”
In addition, the hearing on the 19th resulting in the convictions of two of the six defendants with Elwood receiving 20 years and Middleton described as the ringleader of the group receiving 17 years in prison is a good beginning for justice in this case.
As this story is developing, it is Part I in its coverage.
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**** More Breaking news from Rankin County ****
Officer, Michael Christian Green pled guilty to having a prisoner in his custody in a holding cell, identified only by the initials B.E. lick urine from the floor of a Pearl Police Department holding cell of Rankin County, Mississippi in December.
B.E. was in custody for a disturbance at a store and needed to relieve himself and knocked on the door of the cell to no avail of help and was forced to do so in a corner.
Officer Green filmed him with his cell phone as he was forced with threat of violence and intimidated into ingesting his own urine from the floor with his mouth.
Pearl Police Department, security cameras captured the event and Green pled guilty to the charge that he misplaced the trust of a law enforcement official.
Pearl Mayor Jake Windham said of the incident, “I don’t understand how you treat someone like that.” May 24th sentencing is looming for Green, who remains free on bond.
He faces up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine, having already been ordered to surrender his Mississippi law enforcement certification. Green was calm as he faced Federal Magistrate Judge Andrew Harris.
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