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Two Kentucky correctional officers pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges in connection with the assault of a handcuffed detainee and subsequent cover-up, the Department of Justice said.
Former Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC) Officer David M. Schwartz, 48, pleaded guilty to depriving the detainee of his right to be free from excessive force, resulting in bodily injury, and two counts of filing false reports, according to a DOJ press release.
Fellow ex-LMDC Officer Donna K. Gentry, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice for filing a false report and persuading another officer, Devan Edwards, to file a false report, the DOJ said.
Edwards previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the detainee and failing to intervene to prevent Schwartz from the assault, according to the DOJ.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2018, Schwartz punched a pretrial detainee in the face while the detainee’s hands were handcuffed behind his back. The detainee, identified as T.W., was reportedly pleading with Schwartz to stop and posed no threat, the DOJ said.
Schwartz then wrote a misleading report in which he omitted his use of force against T.W. and falsely charged T.W. with third-degree felony assault, the DOJ said.
The same day, Gentry learned that Schwartz and Edwards had assaulted T.W. and that Edwards had accidentally turned on his body camera and recorded part of the beating. She then wrote a report in which she included false statements and omitted the assault by Schwartz and Edwards, according to court documents.
Edwards reviewed her report and provided the same false information in his own report of the encounter but changed the wording so it was not obvious he copied her report, the DOJ said.
“Correctional officers are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of our nation and to ensure the safety of the inmates under their control,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “These defendants knowingly violated the constitutional rights of an inmate and then lied to cover it up, thereby abusing the powers that the public entrusted to them. The Department of Justice will continue to hold correctional officers accountable for their actions.”
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Schwartz faces up to 50 years in prison, while Gentry faces up to 20 if they are convicted of the charges. Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.
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