Officer at Kentucky prison charged with violating rights of inmate who was assaulted

An officer at a prison in Eastern Kentucky has been charged in connection with the assault of an inmate.

A federal grand jury charged that Eric L. Nantell failed to intervene when he saw three other correctional officers at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex assault an inmate in a shower stall.

Records in related cases said the inmate was restrained by handcuffs and leg shackles, and lying face down on the floor, when the three officers punched, kicked and stomped him.

The inmate was not resisting at the time of the assault, according to plea agreements in related cases.

By failing to intervene or protect the inmate, Nantell violated his right under the U.S. Constitution to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, the grand jury charged.

The indictment returned Thursday also alleges that Nantell, a sergeant when the incident occurred in July 2018, told another prison supervisor, a Kentucky State Police detective and an FBI agent that he didn’t see the inmate assaulted.

Four other prison employees have pleaded guilty in connection with the assault.

Derek Mays admitted writing a report saying the inmate was kicking at guards, which wasn’t true.

Randy Nickell and James Benish admitted writing false reports about the incident, and Jeffery Havens acknowledged in his plea that he hit the inmate.

The four have not been sentenced.