BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Louisiana prison guard has been arrested for allegedly using excessive force on an inmate and lying about it.
Sgt. Julius Aikens, of Prairieville, was arrested on a charge of simple battery following an internal investigation, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections said in a news release Monday. It was unknown if he was represented by an attorney.
Aikens filed a report about the Jan. 31 incident in which he claimed the restrained inmate made a move as if he was trying to get out of his restraints, and Aikens reacted by using force. A review of the security camera footage, however, shows the inmate walking in front of Aikens as they exchanged words. Aikens is then seen bringing the inmate to the ground and kneeing him.
The inmate was not combative and the video was not consistent with Aikens’ account of the incident, the department said.
Aikens was a probational employee at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center since last May. The department said it’s in the process of firing him.
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