RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Authorities in Rankin County are facing a civil rights lawsuit in federal court. The filing alleged that Rankin County deputies beat and tortured two Black men in January 2023.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker seeks $400 million in damages for alleged abuse by Rankin County deputies.

The 14-count suit goes into detail about the alleged misconduct on the night of January 24 in the town of Braxton when Jenkins was shot in his mouth.

“Sexual assault, waterboarding, tasered while handcuffed, beaten while handcuffed, constitutional violation after constitutional violation,” said Malik Shabazz, the attorney for the plaintiffs.

Rankin County deputies Hunter Elward, Brett Mc’Alpin and Christian Dedmon are among the six named in the lawsuit. The other six deputies have not yet been named. Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey was also listed in the lawsuit.

“Sheriff Bryan Bailey acted negligently. Bailey acted carelessly. Bailey was reckless with deliberate indifference to the safety and constitutional rights of the plaintiffs,” said Shabazz.

The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office did not replay when WJTV 12 News asked for a comment.

Shabazz urged Attorney General Lynn Fitch to prosecute the deputies involved.

“You don’t have much of a choice but to prosecute Elward, Mc’Alpin, Dedmon and these six officers,” he stated.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) has its own investigation of the allegations. The probe remains open, as well as a separate investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.