JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A fourth member of the Rankin County Goon Squad has been sentenced.
On Wednesday, Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 480 months (40 years) in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Dedmon is one of six former Rankin County law enforcement officers who have pleaded guilty to sexually and physically abusing Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Parker on the night of January 24, 2023, and attempting to cover it up after Jenkins was shot in the face.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Tom Lee after hearing from several people, including Parker, who delivered a powerful statement comparing the former Rankin County narcotics investigator to the devil.
Wednesday marked the first time either victim had spoken to the court since sentencing proceedings began. Previously, his attorneys have read a pre-prepared victim impact statement.
“That night I saw the devil come to me. I saw the devil in my face, in my home where I was supposed to be safe, where I was supposed to be out of trouble,” he said. “The devil came to me. He tried to take me… If God wasn’t there, we wouldn’t be here.”
Parker shared a detailed account of the abuse that occurred during the 88-minute incident, telling the court he was living at the house at 135 Conerly Rd., to help take care of a paralyzed friend.
“I’m not there because I want to be. I’m there because I’m helping a friend who’s been paralyzed for 20 years,” he said. “You do too much good, and that’s when the devil comes out… Maybe I was doing too good.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, four of the six involved have been sentenced.
Dedmon’s 40-year term is the harshest so far, with the judge saying his actions were “not just the most egregious, but the most shocking, brutal, and cruel acts imaginable.”
The former sheriff’s deputy was facing multiple charges, including seven for deprivation of rights under the color of law, two for conspiracy against rights, and one each for conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.
He also was charged with two counts of discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Federal guidelines allowed for a sentencing enhancement due to his involvement in planning out the January 24 incident, and due to the bodily harm inflicted on the victims.
Dedmon admitted to tasing Jenkins and Parker multiple times in a game of what Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk described as “taser hot potato.”
The 29-year-old former narcotics investigator also was involved in sexually assaulting and beating up another victim following a traffic stop on December 4, 2022. However, he rejected claims that he sexually assaulted that victim in court.
Michael Cory Jr., Dedmon’s attorney, meanwhile, didn’t excuse his client’s actions, but said he should not face more time than the other officer and deputies involved.
“I do think it’s important the court consider the differences in the people that were there that night and what their roles were. To sentence [Dedmon] to 15 or 20 more years than anyone else, in particular, the supervisors, would create an unwarranted and unfair sentencing disparity,” he said.
“The chief investigator for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, that was McAlpin… he put everything in motion, and told Dedmon to take care of the problem. Dedmon was 28 at the time and was there for six or seven years. He should have known better, but he knew what the expectation was, and he knew what the culture was at the department.”
Throughout the two days of proceedings, attorneys and others have referenced the “culture” of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.
Edward Elward, the father of Hunter Elward, who was sentenced on Tuesday, said the only way his son could get overtime was by working with the Goon Squad, calling out McAlpin specifically.
Jeffrey Reynolds, the attorney for Daniel Opdyke, told the court that McAlpin and Jeffrey Middleton, a former RCSD lieutenant, threatened to kill his client if he talked to federal investigators.
Rankin County NAACP President Angela English said the culture of corruption goes above McAlpin and Middleton, all the way to Sheriff Bryan Bailey.
“The sheriff had to have known about all of this. There’s no way,” she said. “His first and second lieutenants and chiefs of investigation, of narcotics, they all answer directly to him. How could not have known?”
Dedmon, meanwhile, said his decision to participate in that culture likely led to him being promoted to narcotics investigator at 28.
“Instead of choosing to do the right thing, I chose to do wrong. I chose to be a show-off,” he said in a tearful apology. “I got into law enforcement not as a devil. I really wanted to make a difference in my community.”
Dedmon said he takes full responsibility for his actions, but rejected claims that he sexually abused a third victim on the night of December 4, 2022.
According to prosecutors, Dedmon was called to the scene of what should have been a routine traffic stop on I-20 near North State Street. Fellow Goon Squad member Daniel Opdyke pulled over Alan Schmidt for a tag violation, and contacted Dedmon, who Dedmon believed had stolen a family member’s property.
Dedmon arrived out of uniform, took Opdyke’s gun, and fired shots toward Schmidt. He later beat up Schmidt, sexually abused him, and took him to a location in Jackson where he believed the stolen equipment was located.
“In respect to the I-20 incident, the things I pleaded guilty to against Mr. Smith, I did. I shot into the ground to scare him, to get him to tell me where the stolen property was… But the sexual assault did not happen. That is just a lie,” he said. “I hope all three gentlemen can forgive me, and I can be a part of my little girl’s life and be a contributing member of society and make up for the person I became.”
Chalk refuted Dedmon’s claims, telling the court the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges in that case back in August. She also credited Dedmon for the need for the phrase, “no bad mugshots,” which came about after he hit a victim in the face.
“He manipulated his position as a law enforcement officer to intimidate someone in the community,” she said. “He was not afraid at all to use excessive force in any of these incidents. He had been with the sheriff’s department for seven or eight years. He may be young, but he has the experience – the experience not to do what he was doing.”
English said she was pleased with the sentence handed down, and thanked the Justice Department for its work. She said NAACP is now focused on getting Bailey removed from office and to bring justice to those affected by the Goon Squad.
“This culture has been in effect for decades, and he has perpetuated it. He’s kept it going,” she said. “Now, we are going to uncover all of the lies, all of the people who have been mistreated by these people.”
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