Q&A: Angela English, President of the Rankin County NAACP

The group of officers, self-styled as the "Goon Squad", pled guilty to numerous charges for attacking Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Parker in January 2023, and collectively face more than 130 years in federal prison.  

Angela English, president of the Rankin County chapter of the NAACP, began circulating the petition to have Bailey removed shortly after the guilty pleas were filed last August. She has also requested the United States Department of Justice launch an investigation into the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.

In Mississippi, a Sheriff may be ousted by the Governor if a petition requesting his removal receives support from at least 30 percent of registered voters in the county. 

Reporter Michael McEwen, abbreviated as MM, speaks with Angela English about that petition following the culmination of sentencing.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

MM: To begin, could you explain why y'all began circulating this petition and what you're hoping it will achieve? 

AE: Well, we know that the terrible atrocities that were carried out by the so-called Goon Squad was a direct result of the type of culture that has been allowed to fester and manifest itself within the Rankin County Sheriff's Office, and knowing that it did not just begin with that January 24th, 2023 brutal beating and torture of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker. We know that there have been decades of atrocities being committed, and some of these atrocities have occurred over at least more than a decade ago, and were done under the watchful eye of Brian Bailey. He was the sheriff and is still the Sheriff 

We watch very carefully how our leaders conduct themselves both locally and nationally. And we believe that once you are made supervisor of employees, your job is to make sure that your employees are following the proper protocol and procedures, and especially as it relates to the lives of other people. So just like we see CEOs of fortune 500 companies, when things occur that have affected or could have affected the lives of people, they resign. They resign and they leave their post because they know that ultimately all of that goes back to their leadership. And we believe that Bryan Bailey exhibits and still exhibits poor leadership. 

MM: Five of the six officers sentenced were Rankin County sheriff's officers in different ranks and roles. But there are, I think, almost 200 more employees in the department. Even with those five sentenced, and with Brian Bailey still in office, is there any concern on your organization's behalf that this culture, as it was described in court, might continue or might be continuing and we're just not aware of it? 

AE: There is a great concern, which is why we are doing all that we can do legally to have him removed. The venom in a snake is in it's head, and if the head is not right the body is not right. He is the person who makes them feel comfortable. He created this environment and he created this culture. As long as he's there, there is no changing and Rankin County is not going to be able to move forward. This black cloud that he has placed over them, the shame that he has caused this county, and the amount of money they will owe through various lawsuits is going to affect the town economically, potentially setting them up for bankruptcy. This is not a good look for a county that is trying to grow and be prosperous and compete with counties like Madison. This is not something that Rankin county taxpayers wanted to see. So we got to get rid of the head in order for the rest of the department to function properly.

MM: What's the status of that petition now? In order for the governor to remove a sheriff, 30% of registered voters in any given county, in this case Rankin, have to sign the petition. What progress has been made on reaching that threshold? 

AE: We're not going to report how many signatures we have, but we will tell you that the momentum has significantly increased and we have been bombarded with calls to sign the petition. We've had people of all races and all religious backgrounds and all socio economic backgrounds who have voluntarily taken petitions and had them filled out and brought them back. So when I say momentum has really kicked in, it has really kicked in since these goon squad members have been sentenced. So we are doing quite well and I have no doubt that we will succeed with our petitions. 

MM: What do you think it was that came out in those three days of federal sentencing that might have grown attention to the case and the sheriff's office and motivated more people to get involved with the petition? 

AE: I believe seeing the officers actually in their jail attire and hearing them give their version of what happened in their apologies, what caused them to maybe do these horrific things, and then their attorneys coming forward saying that their client told them that they were told the only way to rise up in the ranks were to do these things. So when people actually heard the account read out loud about what happened to not only Michael and Eddie, but the young white male Mr. Schmidt, I believe those were the turning points for a lot of Rankin countians who may have been still unsure and just in disbelief that this really happened to any human being. Once they heard it verbalized, and from the perspective of the victims and their parents, that was a turning point for a lot of people. It became real to them at that point.

MM: Why did the Rankin County NAACP request that the Department of Justice launch an investigation into the sheriff's office? 

AE: We made that request because we believe that the only way the incidents that have not been exposed so far, and are going to be exposed, is through a third party law enforcement agency. So we requested that they continue to look into the patterns and practices of this department, and this investigation also is ongoing. It's not the end just because those five officers have been sentenced. I'm not at liberty to discuss what has been discussed, but I will say that pattern and practice is not going to be hard to prove. 

MM: So at this stage, the petition is still circulating, and you've said that it's picked up a lot of momentum. In the hypothetical situation in which the petition reaches that threshold of registered voters, do you think the governor would ultimately act on that and remove Brian Bailey? Have you received any indication or idea of how he might handle that? 

AE: I have not heard from Governor Reeves personally. But, as I've said, he's a native to Rankin County, and this has been a stain not only on the County but the state of Mississippi. It's in the national and world spotlight, so I don't see why he would not oblige 30% of the Rankin County voters and do what is asked of him. He was elected as governor, and that is to make sure that his state is well represented, and that the people that he represents are taken care of and feel safe in their homes and as long as Brian Bailey is in office, we do not feel safe.