The Rankin County, Miss. sheriff leading the team of deputies accused of torturing two Black men has also been swept into legal trouble with them. He’s asked the federal court to dismiss the civil lawsuit filed against him based on ol’ raggedy qualified immunity.
Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker detailed in a shocking lawsuit that five Rankin County sheriff’s deputies conducted a botched raid in their home without a warrant back in January. According to the suit, the men claimed they were handcuffed, sexually assaulted, brutally beaten and one was even shot in the mouth during the 90-minute interaction. The suit says none of the officers had their body cameras activated and allegedly planted drugs in the home to justify the raid.
Sheriff Bryan Bailey, who was named in the $400 million suit, just filed a motion asking the federal court to dismiss the legal filing against him by way of qualified immunity , which is basically the “get out of trouble” card for cops.
Read more about the motion from CBS News:
In his motion, [attorney Jase] Dare said Jenkins and Parker do not allege that Bailey personally participated in the events but failed to train the deputies adequately. He said internal department policies show the deputies underwent training that complies with the law. He also said none of the allegations are enough to overcome qualified immunity and hold Bailey liable for the illegal actions of his deputies.
Right under Bailey’s nose, his own employees had boasted about their coverups and brutal attacks on civilians by nicknaming themselves the “Good Squad,” prosecutors allege. Plus, this isn’t the first time Bailey got tagged in a police brutality case. The AP reported three of the accused deputies were involved in the death of Pierre Woods in 2019. By association, Bailey was drawn into another civil suit which resulted in settlement.
“We believe that the totality of the evidence shows the brutality of the Goon Squad was a longstanding problem. The brutality was not just limited to these five deputies, and it’s something that has existed during the entirety of Bryan Bailey’s tenure as sheriff,” said an attorney for the two plaintiffs, Trent Walker, via CBS.
A settlement hearing for Jenkins’ and Parker’s suit is being scheduled, CBS reports. The officers named in the suit pleaded guilty to state and federal charges, agreeing to a sentence that could be anywhere from five to 30 years in prison.