Thirty inmates at Arizona’s Lewis Prison are suing the state Department of Corrections and several correctional officers, alleging they were assaulted during a 2024 incident.
According to a DOC report, the confrontation began after an inmate refused orders to tuck in his shirt and became aggressive.
The report says Tactical Support and K9 units were called in, chemical agents were deployed, and inmates were hit with pepper balls.
One inmate was also pepper-sprayed and restrained by multiple officers.
One of the inmates involved in the lawsuit says, “No de-escalation tactics were used or attempted whatsoever.”
