(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/4/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed guilty pleas by six former Mississippi law enforcement officers in a racist assault on two Black men during a raid that ended with one officer shooting one man in the mouth.
The incident took place on January 24 when the officers entered a house without a warrant and reportedly assaulted the two Black men with stun guns and other objects. They reportedly assaulted one of the men with a sex object. The officers reportedly used racist slurs while torturing the victims.
The abuse lasted a period of about 90 minutes, court documents show. After one victim was shot and wounded in a “mock execution,” court documents say the officers conspired to plant and tamper with evidence instead of giving medical aid to the victim. The six officers, who called themselves the “goon squad,” pleaded guilty Thursday.
SEE: Ex-Mississippi officers plead guilty to racist assault on 2 Black men during raid | PBS NewsHour
“We welcome the guilty plea in this appalling case of police brutality and racist violence,” said CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “The people of Mississippi are safer with individuals like this far away from any kind of authority.”
He said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Distribution of White Supremacist Flyers in Birmingham, Ala., Welcomes Dropping of Confederate School Mascots in Montgomery, Ala.
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CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com