Former Louisville correctional officers plead guilty to federal charges in beating of handcuffed inmate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Two former correctional officers at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the 2018 assault of a detainee and an attempt to cover up their misconduct.

David M. Schwartz, 48, and Donna K. Gentry, 55, pleaded guilty Thursday, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice. A third officer, Devan Edwards, pleaded guilty in May to assaulting the detainee and failing to intervene to prevent Schwartz from assaulting him.

"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," said Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division, in a news release. "The Department of Justice will continue to hold correctional officers accountable for their actions."

According to previous reporting, investigators said Gentry was the supervising sergeant on duty on April 15, 2018, when Schwartz and Edwards allegedly assaulted 19-year-old inmate Terry Whitehead while he was handcuffed. The assault occurred less than a year after the officers were hired in September 2017, meaning their employment status was probationary.

Court documents state false reports were filed "in an attempt to cover up the misconduct." Schwartz and Edwards were eventually fired after body camera footage of the assault surfaced.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020. Schwartz faces up to 50 years in prison, according to the news release, and Gentry faces up to 20 years behind bars.

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