By Christopher Young,
Contributing Writer,
A gathering took place on May 21, 2024, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the Brandon Public Library at 1475 W. Government Street in Rankin County. The goal was as simple as it was significant, to ensure the voices of the citizens were being heard. Previous gatherings have been hosted by the Rankin County NAACP over the oppressive law enforcement practices raised to the national spotlight by “The Goon Squad” in January 2023, when six of its white members brutally assaulted and tortured two black men – Micheal Jenkins and Eddie Parker, in a private home.
The previous NAACP Town Hall meetings presided over by Angela English, president of the Rankin County Branch, have grown in scope over time and have clearly had an impact. This time the event was hosted not by the NAACP, but by the federal government, specifically the U.S. Department of Justice.
The meeting was opened by Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Meyers, who introduced the numerous federal law enforcement officers in the room, prior to introducing the ranking officer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Todd W. Gee.
Meyers highlighted his office’s focus on “Civil rights issues in areas ranging from racially discriminatory policing to education to sex and gender discrimination…we are not part of the state of Mississippi, Rankin County, or the City of Brandon. We have our own jurisdiction and our own authority. We prosecute criminal cases and bring civil lawsuits on behalf of the United States…this is an evening for us to hear from you and create an avenue for you to communicate directly with us.”
Meyers and his colleague, Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Givens Williams served as moderators for the listening session.
U.S. Attorney Gee, born in Vicksburg, made clear, “We are here for a listening session on civil rights. The U.S. Department of Justice uses meetings like this to hear from folks like ya’ll – directly from the source about things that have happened to you, people you know, experiences you may have had where your civil rights may have been violated. We all hope that one day we will not need to have meetings like this anymore, but we know that we have a long way to go here in Rankin County, in Mississippi, and in America before we can truly say that the rights of all people are treated fairly and equally.”
He went on to tick off a lengthy list of civil rights crimes in Mississippi, and said “The hate-fueled torture of two African-American men here in Rankin County, Mr. Parker and Mr. Jenkins, that happened in January of last year, would have been a uniquely horrible event even if it had happened in Mississippi in the 1950’s or 1960’s. The fact that it happened in 2023 is only all the more tragic. We are still a long way from where we need law enforcement to be in Mississippi, where there can be a group of officers who call themselves The Goon Squad, they break into a house without a search warrant. They beat, torture, and put a gun in the mouth of an African-American male and pull the trigger and shoot him, and then try to set him up for a fake crime when it is over with. We must also face the reality that this was not just a one-off incident. Three of these same deputies pleaded guilty to participating in another brutal attack in December 2022…”
Following Gee’s remarks, all members of the press were asked to leave the room to ensure people’s safety and security are assured as they brought forth their comments and complaints. The room was filled – over 200 attendees. The closed-door listening session fielded comments and complaints from between 20-25 citizens, based on reports from those who had remained inside. Multiple mechanisms were provided for citizens to reach out confidentially to federal authorities after the meeting, if they were more comfortable with that.
The Mississippi Link spoke with Mary Jenkins, mother of Goon Squad victim Michael Jenkins. Remembering the fear that she had expressed at a previous meeting about even being able to sit on her porch with her husband, she was asked if she was now able to sit on the porch and she said, “No, no, no, we can only go there for very brief periods, we had some problems with people coming on our property and have been afraid to call the police because we don’t know who will come when you call.”
Rankin County Branch NAACP President Angela English was asked how she felt the listening session had gone. “I am first of all, very thankful that we had such a large turnout tonight. I am also thankful that United States Attorney General’s office and the U.S. Marshall’s office, along with the FBI, were present to hear these people’s complaints and incidences that they were faced with. I believe with all my heart that justice is going to prevail on behalf of these individuals and their families.”
Robert A. Eikhoff, recently named Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson FBI Field Office, shared with us, “It is very important for the community’s voice to be heard and that they understand that from their voice and the information they share, it gives us the insights that we need to understand what is happening and where there are violations of law. It gives us that pathway to investigate those violations.”
Native Rankin County Attorney Trent Walker, co-counsel for Micheal Jenkins and Eddie Parker, shared with us, “We are happy to see the DOJ come out to listen to the community…we need more citizens of Rankin County to come out to tell their stories so that you have that undeniable pattern…not just Rankin Sheriff’s Department, but other law enforcement in Rankin County…some people spoke about City of Pearl. The more DOJ has to go on the more successful we can be to bring real systemic change to Rankin County.”
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