Rankin County Jail Guards Mock Intellectually Disabled Inmate in Leaked Videos

Disturbing Videos Emerge from Rankin County Jail

• 🎥 Two newly uncovered videos reveal guards at the Rankin County jail mocking and laughing at an intellectually disabled inmate, Larry Buckhalter.
• 💡 These incidents occurred just days after Buckhalter was filmed being shocked with an electrified restraint vest for asking for a Coke.
• 🗣️ Former employees stated these videos were shared widely within an encrypted WhatsApp group chat, highlighting a disturbing jail culture.

Abuse and Disregard for Humanity

• 💔 Larry Buckhalter, who died in 2021, was described by his family and acquaintances as intellectually disabled, a fact they claim was obvious to jail staff.
• 😭 Former guards confirmed Buckhalter was nicknamed "Crying Larry" and was often forced to perform humiliating tasks, including being shocked with a stun vest.
• 😠 The pervasive disregard for Buckhalter's humanity is seen as a symptom of a larger, normalized pattern of behavior within the jail.

Specific Incidents and Official Response

• 🎂 In one video, Buckhalter wears a party hat and sings "Happy Birthday" to "Barry," likely a reference to Barry Vaughn, the former head of the jail and current undersheriff.
• ⚠️ In another video, someone in uniform slams a wet floor sign behind Buckhalter, startling him as others laugh.
• 🤥 The department attorney, Jason Dar, claimed Buckhalter had a "crack problem" and was never diagnosed with a disability, a statement refuted by Buckhalter's family and the context of the videos.

Systemic Corruption and Investigation

• 💰 The jail's culture is further contextualized by previous investigations revealing widespread brutality, including guards and administrators routinely beating inmates.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The wife of Sheriff Bailey, Christy Pennington, also works for the department, and one of the mocking videos reportedly took place in her office.
• ⚖️ Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agents are investigating the incident, and the Commissioner of Public Safety called the videos "appalling and utterly unacceptable."

Whistleblowers and Calls for Accountability

• 📢 A former deputy and former guards provided the new recordings, highlighting the courage of those who leak information about such abuses.
• 🚫 Senator Nina Turner called for the entire jail to be "cleaned out" and for everyone to be replaced, drawing parallels to historical mistreatment of Black people in the U.S.
• 🔍 While the DOJ was involved to some degree, the process of documenting and addressing these injustices was lengthy, underscoring the need for more immediate action and accountability.