Kentucky prison officers accused of forcing inmates to drink urine or be tased upon failed drug test

LOUISVILLE, Ky., (WDRB) -- A lawsuit filed on behalf of seven inmates at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex claims they were forced to either drink their own urine or be tased after failing a drug test while in custody.

And Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb acknowledged in a statement that some employees have been fired and disciplined in other ways.

"This incident was thoroughly investigated and multiple disciplinary actions were taken including employee terminations," she said. "As of now, the Department of Corrections has not been served with the lawsuit and cannot provide further comment."

She would not discuss details of the disciplinary action or terminations, including the results of the investigation.

WDRB News has requested the investigation and disciplinary action taken through the Kentucky open records law.

In a June 6th memo to Randy White, deputy commissioner of the Department of Corrections, an investigator said the findings substantiated that staffers were tasing inmates who failed drug test.

"This determination is based on the preponderance of evidence," according to an investigative memo obtained by WDRB. "This evidence includes video footage, staff and inmate witness statements , electronic Taser evidence log ... and inconsistencies in suspect interviews."

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court's Eastern District in Ashland, claims four correctional officers told the inmates who failed drug tests "they would be able to 'throw away' their urine sample if they chose to be subjected to electrocution by taser or to drink their own urine."

However, the suit also claims the seven inmates were "forced" to either be tased or drink their urine.

The suit alleges that over several days in March and April of 2023, the inmates were subject to urine test screening for illegal drug use, which is not unusual and can prompt disciplinary action as per prison regulations.

Taser logs show they were used against inmates during the time of the alleged misconduct and that video evidence depicts the electric flashes of the tasers being deployed behind a curtain, according to the suit filed by Lexington attorneys Joseph Buckles and Greg Coulson.

In a statement, Coulson said, "Prisoners serving sentences of incarceration deserve humane treatment and freedom from retaliation for exercising their rights. We look forward to letting a jury hear the facts and making a determination regarding the conduct."

The lawsuit claims some supervisors participated in the incidents while others knew what was happening and and did nothing to prevent it.

In addition, supervisors are accused of attempting to hide or “cover up” the actions, including giving false statements to internal investigators.

Gov. Andy Beshear's office requested an internal investigation, according to the lawsuit.

Two spokespeople for Beshear's office did not respond to requests for comment.

"The conduct ... was hidden from public view until the staff of the Governor of Kentucky requested an internal investigation," the suit claims.

Besides the four officers, Warden James Green was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Claims in filing a lawsuit represent only one side of the case.

The plaintiffs named in the suit are John Francis, Terry Larue, Eric Williams, Randy McCleary, Samuel Daniel, Tywan Beaumont and Donte Harris.

The correctional officers named as defendants are Justin Newsome, Boone Collins, Robert Grim and Alan Dube. All are accused of lying to investigators. They could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit is seeking a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.