Louisville jail officer charged with assaulting man who worked PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville Metro Corrections officer is charged with two counts of assault and one count of official misconduct after he allegedly shoved a handcuffed man into a metal door and tased him while he was face down on the floor.

Officer Chase Branson was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor assault on Joseph Cortina, who was arrested on May 21, 2024, on a charge of alcohol intoxication while trying to board a plane after working hospitality events at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

Metro Corrections spokesperson Maj. Jason Logsdon confirmed the charges against Branson Thursday and said the department is "fully cooperating with the investigation and will assist investigators where needed. These allegations against Ofc. Branson are not reflective of the professionalism and standards of this department."

Logsdon said Branson hasn't been fired but is currently suspended from the jail. He declined to comment further.

Branson, who is not in jail, will be arraigned on July 21, according to court records. He was hired by the jail in 2019.

The police citation alleges Cortina was not resisting when Branson shoved him into a wall and then tased him while he was on his stomach being physically restrained by other officers.

"I've never quite experienced something this traumatic or to this extent," Cortina said in an interview with WDRB News on Friday. "I was shook up for a while."

An internal investigation by Metro Corrections alleges that Cortina "fell" into a door, but substantiates the tasing allegations.

"Officer Branson's actions were not only unprofessional and improper, but unnecessary and excessive," the investigation concluded.

The criminal charges come a week after Cortina filed a lawsuit claiming Branson was suspended for 15 days for using excessive force after an internal investigation by Metro Corrections into his actions following Cortina's arrest.

The incident at Louisville's jail was captured on several body cameras while Cortina was not resisting and surrounded by other officers, according to the police citation.

Cortina was at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport preparing to travel back to his home in California on May 20, 2024, but wasn't allowed to get on the plane and was later arrested for alcohol intoxication, court documents say.

Cortina's lawsuit acknowledges he was "verbally disruptive" while being booked but that he was never aggressive, didn't resist officers and followed commands.

Branson allegedly "aggressively inserted himself into the situation" and told Cortina if he kept it up, "it's going to be a hard day for you," according to the suit filed by attorney Sara Collins on May 8 in Jefferson Circuit Court.

"No it's not," Cortina allegedly replied.

"Yes, it is, because I am going to tase you," Branson told him, according to the suit, which is describing body cam video of the incident.

"For what?" Cortina asked.

"Because I can," the officer responded.

When Cortina allegedly told him he could not tase him, Branson responded "Yeah I can. That's what my f ... ing rules say," according to the suit.

Branson also allegedly called Cortina "a little bi**h" and slammed him into a wall.

The investigation by Metro Corrections substantiates everything but Cortina being slammed against a metal door.

After he was placed on his stomach by other officers, Cortina put his hands on top of his head for the handcuffs to be removed, according to both the lawsuit and internal investigation. That's when Branson tased Cortina in the back while he was still handcuffed and allegedly said "tickles, doesn't it?"

Cortina wasn't resisting and was being held down by other officers, including one who had his knee on Cortina's shoulder, the suit says.

Branson's supervisor witnessed the incident yet didn't intervene, the suit alleges. There is no mention of this in the internal investigation obtained by WDRB News.

The internal investigation later found Branson was found to have used excessive force, resulting in a 15-day suspension.

"There is no place in law enforcement for bullies," attorney Sara Collins said in a statement. "Joseph Cortina was compliant with jail guards' commands throughout his detention. Yet, LMDC Officer Chase Branson bullied and arbitrarily brutalized Cortina. Branson's unlawful actions demonstrate that he is grossly unfit to wear a badge."

Cortina said he was in shock during the incident.

"The situation escalated so quick," he said in an interview. "I was trying to process everything. I wasn't sure why this was happening."

Cortina, 44, pleaded guilty last August to alcohol intoxication in a public place and was fined $50 and had to pay court fees, according to records.

The police report alleged Cortina was being "loud and aggressive" to airport staff and caused a disruption, leading to his arrest.

Cortina claims he has suffered physical and mental injuries and has been unable to travel for other hospitality jobs since the incident after working the PGA tournament.

In an interview, Cortina says he no longer feels safe in Louisville and probably won't ever come back.

"Highly unlikely," he said. "I've done multiple events in Louisville, but unfortunately after this experience I don't think there's any reason for me to return."

The suit mentions several other incidents at Metro Corrections in which inmates were assaulted by staff, alleging it is a pattern at the jail. Former officer Darrell Taylor, for example, was convicted in 2023 of using excessive force when he attacked an inmate, breaking his jaw. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

"It is inconsistent with their policies," Collins said in an interview Friday. "It's inconsistent with their training, yet over and over, you see these examples."

The lawsuit, which names Director Jerry Collins and Branson as defendants, is requesting a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.

Claims made in a lawsuit present only one side of the case.

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