Known as a ‘thug squad’: US police officers convicted of torturing black people The world is not doing enough to expand renewable energy

A judge in Jackson sentenced the two men, ages 31 and 46, to 20 and 17.5 years in prison, the Justice Department in Washington said. Four other suspects in the case are expected to be sentenced Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the information, the all-white group entered the apartment of the two blacks in the small town of Braxton in January last year without a search warrant. There, the officers at the time handcuffed, punched and kicked the men, gave them electric shocks and humiliated them with racist insults. They also allegedly abused their victims with a sex toy.

In a kind of mock execution, the perpetrator, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison, shot one of the victims in the mouth and broke his jaw, the Ministry of Justice announced. “While the victim lay bleeding on the ground,” the police tried to cover up their crime. Attorney General Merrick Garland called it a “heinous attack” by officials who were essentially sworn to protect their citizens.

According to consistent media reports, the crime was prompted by a call from a neighbor complaining that two black people were living with a white woman. A third party then notified the group, which was also known as the ‘thug squad’. In handing down the sentence, the judge reportedly said a prison sentence at the high end of the possible range was more than justified given the egregious nature of the crime. (sda/dpa)