LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man who was in jail for writing bad checks claims he was the victim of an unprovoked attack by corrections officers inside Louisville's jail.
The lawsuit, filed in Jefferson circuit court last week, claims Christian Chandler was left in a cell so long without being allowed to use the bathroom that he urinated on himself and was then beaten by guards.
"He was left in there obviously for an extended period of time because at the beginning of the video, you see him handing out a food tray," said attorney Jim Ballinger, who is representing Chandler.
Video from outside the cell where Chandler earlier met with a lawyer, shows Louisville Metro Corrections officers bring Chandler a mop to clean up the cell. After a few attempts, it appears the mop handle breaks.
WATCH VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT HERE:
"He finally gave up and said 'I don't know how to do this' and he leaned the mop handle up against the wall and took a couple of steps, nothing aggressive toward anyone," Ballinger said.
The video shows Officer Joey Sanders grab Chandler by the collar, strike him in the head and then take him to the ground before several other officers enter the frame.
"Using a controlled take down method I placed (inmate) Chandler on the floor to better control him," wrote Sanders in a report following the incident.
The video appears to show Sanders repeatedly punching Chandler near the head once he is on the ground. A number of other officers rush in. The video does not have any sound.
The lawsuit claims Sanders repeatedly used racial slurs when giving Chandler commands. Chandler was arrested on suspicion of writing bad checks.
"In my opinion -- and I'm not a prosecutor -- it sure seems like an assault and battery," Ballinger said.
Ballinger says that Chandler is still dealing with mental issues as a result of the incident back on Nov. 27, 2019.
The lawsuit names Sanders and Corrections Director Dwayne Clarke as defendants. A spokesperson says the department doesn't comment on pending litigation.
However, spokesman Steve Durham said an internal investigation was launched and found that Sanders violated use of force policy for the jail. He quit his job on Aug. 1. It's unclear when the internal investigation was concluded.
"We need to hold some people accountable is what we're looking at getting out of this," Ballinger said.
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