Lexington jail guard charged with assault for allegedly pepper spraying naked inmate
A guard at the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center is facing misdemeanor charges after she allegedly pepper sprayed an inmate who posed no threat to her or anyone else, according to court records.
Quadira Price, 27, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and misconduct stemming from an incident that occurred at the jail in October, according to court records. Price allegedly sprayed oleoresin capsicum, also known as pepper spray, through the food flap of an inmate’s cell. Price was served on Dec. 31 with a criminal summons.
The man inside the cell was naked when the pepper spray was discharged into his cell and it “was sprayed on his genitals,” an investigator wrote in a criminal complaint. The spray “caused a significant burning pain.”
The man “was in his locked cell, was behind a secure barrier, and did not pose any risk to Officer Price or any other person at the time the O.C. spray was deployed,” an investigator wrote in court records.
Price didn’t immediately report the incident and didn’t seek to get the victim any medical help, which is required by policy, according to court records. The incident was captured on surveillance. Price has been cooperative in the investigation, according to court records.
Price’s attorney, Eric Eaton, echoed that Price has complied with the investigation and said his client “denies any wrongdoing.”
“Cpl. Price has an excellent work history at the jail and is involved in our community,” Eaton said. “She looks forward to a jury hearing all the evidence.”
Price on Dec. 31 was placed on a leave of absence without pay until her court case is resolved, according to information obtained by the Herald-Leader through an open records request. She’s permitted to use any accrued vacation or holiday time during her leave of absence, according to records.
Internal investigations carried out by Community Corrections involving potential criminal offenses aren’t completed until after the court case is resolved, per Community Corrections policy.
A spokesman for Fayette County Community Corrections said the department couldn’t comment on the ongoing investigation. Community Corrections didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether or not the department took any disciplinary action against Price.
Price was scheduled for her next court appearance in February. Price’s fourth-degree assault charge is a Class A misdemenaor punishable by a maximum of 12 months imprisonment. Her misconduct charge is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days imprisonment.
Herald-Leader reporter Christopher Leach contributed to this story.
