Skip to main content
Press Release

Three Former Supervisory Correctional Officers Charged With Beating Handcuffed And Shackled Inmate At Angola State Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced that three former supervisory correctional officers at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, were indicted today for beating a handcuffed and shackled inmate, and conspiring to cover up their misconduct by falsifying official records, committing perjury and tampering with witnesses as well as physical evidence.  Earlier this week, a fourth former supervisory officer pled guilty for his role in the crimes.

Former Major DANIEL DAVIS, age 40, of Loranger, Louisiana, former Captain JOHN SANDERS, age 31, of Marksville, Louisiana, and former Captain JAMES SAVOY, age 38, of Marksville, Louisiana, were charged in a multi-count indictment by a federal Grand Jury sitting in the Middle District of Louisiana.  According to the indictment, Major DANIEL DAVIS, Captain JOHN SANDERS and Captain JAMES SAVOY beat an inmate, who suffered bodily injury as a result.  The defendants then created a false cover story, asserting that the officers used reasonable force to get the inmate under control after he had gotten out of his cell and fought with officers.  To corroborate that false cover story, members of the conspiracy instructed subordinates to clean up the inmate’s blood before internal investigators could document it, falsified official prison reports and records, ordered subordinates to lie to internal affairs investigators and lied under oath in a federal civil proceeding arising out of the incident.

A fourth defendant, former Captain SCOTTY KENNEDY, age 48, of Beebe, Arkansas, pled guilty on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, for his role in the incident. 

U.S. Attorney Green stated: “It is a sad day whenever a member of law enforcement engages in wrongdoing.  In addition to the direct harm caused to a victim, such wrongdoing taints the vast majority of officers who fulfill their mission with honesty and integrity.  Today’s indictment reinforces that no one is above the law.”

This case is being investigated by the Baton Rouge Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Menner, Jr. of the Middle District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by the Grand Jury.  Each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

Updated November 3, 2016