Members of the so-called Mississippi goon squad have been implicated in a disturbing private text thread, as reported by the New York Times and the Mississippi Times. The group gained notoriety earlier this year when some of its officers were convicted of torturing two black men. Shockingly, the text thread, which spanned several years, allegedly involved current law enforcement officers within the department.
The reported content of the text messages is deeply troubling. Officers were said to have exchanged crime scene photos, discussed shooting individuals, and even shared images of dead bodies. The conversations delved into disturbing details such as tasing individuals in sensitive areas and attempting to obtain inappropriate photos of women they had arrested.
In 2019, the department faced scrutiny after the goon squad was linked to multiple shootings. The text thread revealed callous discussions about the potential 'points' officers could earn based on the outcomes of these violent encounters, indicating a concerning culture within the group.
The Sheriff's Department has responded by asserting that they had no oversight over the WhatsApp text messages and have expressed a desire to investigate the matter further. However, given the history of documented torture incidents involving the goon squad, community trust in the department has been severely eroded.
Legal representatives of the victims of the torture incidents have condemned the officers' actions, dismissing claims that the conversations were merely jokes. Efforts to remove the Sheriff from office, led by organizations like the NAACP, have intensified in light of these revelations.
The federal government is actively engaging with community members to uncover the full extent of misconduct within the Rankin County Sheriff's Department. Questions linger about the involvement of current officers in the text thread and the department's commitment to genuine reform.
