Jury Rejects Inmate Excessive Force Claim Against Guards
Alexander Jewell, an incarcerated individual at Green Haven Correctional Facility, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Sergeant Daniel Mulligan, Officer Peter Link, and Sergeant Michel Blot under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Jewell alleged that after a brief yard fight on April 6, 2019, he complied with orders and was handcuffed, after which officers subjected him to a brutal, coordinated beating that left him unconscious. He claimed he suffered a torn knee requiring surgery, hearing loss from an ear injury, and broken ribs, and that supervisors failed to intervene and later threatened him in the infirmary to cover up the assault. The Defendants denied all allegations, asserting they acted reasonably to restore order and that Jewell's injuries stemmed from the initial fight with another inmate. Following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a jury found completely in favor of the correction staff on all counts, resulting in the total dismissal of the complaint with prejudice.