The Justice Department is investigating several Mississippi deputies who are believed to have violated the civil rights of Black men.
The Associated Press reported that there have been at least four incidents involving violent encounters between deputies and Black men, of which two Black men have been left dead.
AP News reported that two men have accused Rankin County deputies of putting guns into their mouths — in separate incidents. In one of the incidents, the officer pulled the trigger, resulting in one man having to have surgery to repair his tongue.
According to the report, the shooting of Michael Jenkins is what led the Justice Department to investigate the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department.
Back in February, Jenkins found himself with lifelong injuries after an officer put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Jenkins was visiting the home of a friend when the incident occurred. Police maintain that Jenkins was shot after he pointed a gun at an officer. However, it hasn’t been determined if a gun was even found at the scene, let alone on Jenkins.
Rankin County is east of Jackson, MS, and holds the highest percentage of Black people in any city in the U.S. AP News reported. In the city of Brandon, a statue of a Confederate soldier still sits across the street from the sheriff’s office, AP News reported.
Jenkins’ attorneys, who filed a lawsuit, said that deputies came into the home of Eddie Terrell Parker, the friend Jenkins was visiting, then handcuffed and beat both Jenkins and Parker. The report went on to say that deputies repeatedly used tasers for over 90 minutes. AP News also reported that deputies forced Jenkins and Terrell to lie on their backs while they poured milk on their faces.
Deputies claimed they were conducting a drug raid after reports of drug activity at Parker’s home. Jenkins was charged with being in possession of 2-10 grams of methamphetamine and aggravated assault on a police officer. Parker was charged with possession of paraphernalia and disorderly conduct. Both are misdemeanors.