RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Rankin County deputies, who allegedly beat and tortured two Black men in January 2023, have been fired.

According to Sheriff Bryan Bailey, the deputies were initially placed on administrative leave pending final investigative findings. Due to recent developments, including findings during the department’s internal investigation, the deputies that were still employed were terminated.

A lawsuit, filed on behalf of Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, is seeking $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.

Rankin County deputies Hunter Elward, Brett Mc’Alpin and Christian Dedmon are among the six named in the lawsuit. Bailey was also listed in the lawsuit.

According to Bailey, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI) was requested to conduct an independent investigation into the incident involving deputies. He said the department has cooperated with all investigation efforts related to the incident.

“We understand that the alleged actions of these deputies has eroded the public’s trust in our department. Rest assured that we will work diligently to restore that trust. We have already taken actions to ensure that we serve and protect the public while making sure the rights of all citizens are protected. These actions include a detailed analysis of our policies, procedures, and training of all department personnel. We have also retained a full time ‘Compliance Officer’ for monitoring of our daily operations and to ensure our department remains compliant with all state and federal law,” Bailey stated.

“Today a long overdue action was taken. The firing of the Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s deputies involved in the torture and shooting of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker is a significant action on the path to justice for one of the worst law enforcement tragedies in recent memory,” said Malik Shabazz, the attorney for Jenkins and Parker. “However, criminal indictments of the deputies from the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi and criminal indictments by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is the next step in this tough fight for justice in this nasty ordeal.”

Shabazz also called for Bailey to resign or to be ousted.

The MBI probe remains open, as well as a separate investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.