Daniel Opdyke, a former Mississippi law enforcement officer, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison by a federal judge for his involvement in the torture of two Black men in January 2023. Opdyke, a former deputy with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty to federal charges including conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.
The incident involved a squad of White Mississippi law enforcement officers raiding a home without a warrant, subjecting two Black residents to racist vitriol, tasing them after they were handcuffed, beating them with various objects, and shooting one in the mouth. The officers then planted a gun on the victims and plotted a cover story.
