“This case is a shocking and shocking example of police abuse, which is completely unacceptable in our society,” said agency representative Kristen Clarke, who denounced the acts motivated by racial hate and bias. Six officers, some of whom admitted to forming part of a team known as the “Thug Squad” and famous for their brutality, are being prosecuted and are no longer in service.
In January, these agents entered a house in Braxton, a small town in the southern state of the United States, without any warrant or justification, to torture two black men, according to an official statement. The policemen handcuffed the victims and subjected them to a torture session with racist insults. According to the indictment, the officers sexually assaulted the men with a dildo and inflicted 17 electric shocks with tasers. In addition, they humiliated them by forcing them to swallow various liquids, including alcohol, cooking oil, and milk. One of the victims was struck with blunt objects such as a metal sword, a piece of wood, and a kitchen utensil.
The horror continued when one of the officers placed his service weapon in the mouth of one of the men and, to scare him, pulled the trigger after removing a round from the magazine. On a second attempt, the bullet passed through the victim’s neck. The men were then left in a pool of blood for several minutes as they helped cover up the incident.
The squad tried to eliminate evidence by destroying the home’s CCTV, burning the victims’ clothing, and planting a BB gun and methamphetamine at the location to justify their intervention. They also filed false reports and repeatedly lied to investigators. Three of them had already pleaded guilty in another case of police violence in December. This case has been a painful reminder of the need to address police abuse and systemic racism that persist in today’s society.