Six former Mississippi officers have pleaded guilty to state charges for torturing two black men

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

Six former Mississippi law officers who tortured two black men have pleaded guilty to state-level charges.

One of the officers shot one of the victims in the mouth during the racist assault, and then they covered it up for months.

All six already admitted their guilt in a connected federal civil rights case.

Prosecutors say some of the officers nicknamed themselves the “Goon Squad” because of their tendency to use excessive force.

The state charges include home invasion, aggravated assault, conspiracy to hinder prosecution and obstruction of justice.

An Associated Press investigation linked some of the officers to at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019.