BATON ROUGE — An inmate is suing the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff and several prison guards alleging their negligence resulted in him being severely injured in an attack in which he was knocked unconscious by a fellow prisoner.
An inmate is suing Sid J. Gautreaux, III, Dennis Grimes, Robert Clement, Johnny Scott, Leonard Harris, Terrall Lockett, Griffin and Deputy Does 1-4, prison officers, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries and negligence.
Michael A. Robertson filed a complaint on May 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against the defendants alleging they failed to perform essential duties, resulting in a failure to protect individuals in their custody.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that, on May 24, 2015, he while he was watching television with other inmates at Tier J2 at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison when inmate Percy Cage came and started a verbal altercation with him over control of the television. Without provocation or warning Cage allegedly struck him in the face with Cage's cast or brace. The plaintiff claims he passed out and fell to the floor, bleeding heavily. As a result of the assault, he purportedly suffers from intense pain and suffering, including mental anguish, trauma and anxiety.
The plaintiff holds Sid J. Gautreaux, III, Dennis Grimes, Robert Clement, Johnny Scott, Leonard Harris, Terrall Lockett, Griffin and Deputy Does 1-4 responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to inspect the tier for weapons or other things that could be used in an attack, failed to prevent a known aggressor from keeping an object that could be used as a weapon and failed to prevent the housing of inmates with known aggressors.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment in his favor and against all defendants for compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys’ fees and all other and further legal, equitable and general relief available for him.
Robertson is represented by James W. Craig of The Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana Case number 3:16-cv-00341