US Charges Prison Officer With Covering Up Assault Of Inmate - Justice Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2023) A former sergeant at a prison in Kentucky has been indicted for obstruction linked to the cover up of an assault of an inmate by several officers he supervised, the Justice Department said in a press release.

"A former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex (EKCC) sergeant was indicted by a federal jury in Lexington, Kentucky, for three counts of obstruction based on his efforts to cover up the assault of a restrained inmate by multiple officers that he supervised," the release said on Fridayl

The Justice Department alleged that in July of 2018, Eric Nantell, 47, watched lower-ranking officers assault a non-violent inmate who was lying face-down, shackled and handcuffed, in a prison shower cell.

Nantell stood outside of a shower, witnessed the assault and attempted to cover up the incident when he lied to a supervisor investigating the incident, according to the release. He also allegedly lied to a detective with the Kentucky State Police and a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the release added.

Nantell faces up to 20 years behind bars for each charge of lying to Kentucky state officials. He also faces as much as five years in prison for lying to the FBI.