An Ohio man is alleging he was assaulted by corrections officers who used excessive force while he was incarcerated at the Hamilton County Jail.
Chad Warren filed a federal lawsuit last week against Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, Hamilton County Chief Deputy Chris Ketteman, and 26 Hamilton County Jail corrections officers — including a sergeant.
Warren’s lawsuit lists a total of 11 counts including — excessive force, assault, battery, deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, failure to intervene, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others.
“This lawsuit makes clear that no one is above the law,” Solomon Radner, a civil rights attorney at Radner Law Group, who is representing Warren, said in a statement. “When someone entrusted with power chooses to abuse it, the justice system must respond.”
A corrections officer allegedly beat Warren with his belt and a month later Warren learned his spine was fractured, the suit claims. Hitting an inmate with a belt is considered corporal punishment, which is illegal in U.S. federal and state prisons and violates the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, where Warren is asking for compensatory and punitive damages, though no dollar amount is listed. It also asks that all responsible parties be held accountable for their actions.
“All of the facts surrounding this incident will be brought out in a court of law,” Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement. “Because this case is in litigation, the Sheriff’s Office cannot comment further at this time.”
Timeline of events
Warren was incarcerated at the Hamilton County Jail from Oct. 25, 2025 to Jan. 8.
On Nov. 19, Warren said he was getting ready to go to work in the jail’s kitchen when a corrections officer grabbed him in the hallway and now former corrections officer Jordan Anderson hit him with his belt while other correction officers laughed.
Anderson was arrested for allegedly beating Warren with his belt and faces one count of misdemeanor assault on an inmate.
“Regarding the investigation into the actions of now former deputy Jordan Anderson, as soon as we were made aware of the incident, and in accordance with the Sheriff’s Office transparency policy, we immediately released video and charged him with assault based on what we saw in the video,” McGuffey said in a statement.
Warren asked to speak to the sergeant and lieutenant about the incident, but corrections officers laughed at him. He ended up submitting a grievance through the jail kiosk later that day.
“After filing grievances and requesting to speak with supervisors, (Warren) was subjected to verbal abuse, threats, placement in administrative segregation, deprivation of water, placement in a restraint chair with a dirty spit hood, denial of recreation time, and interference with court appearances,” according to court documents.
Pepper balls were also shot into Warren’s cell causing burning eyes, vomiting, and respiratory distress, the lawsuit states.
“The force used against (Warren) was excessive and applied maliciously and sadistically to cause harm, rather than in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline,” according to court documents.
On Nov. 24, a sergeant and lieutenant tried to get Warren to sign a paper saying he was safe around other deputies and inmates, but Warren refused.
Warren asked a corrections officer to go to the medical unit for back pain on Nov. 25, but the corrections officer refused, so Warren filed another grievance. Warren was eventually taken to medical on Dec. 19, where he got an x-ray of his back. His spine was fractured.
“The doctor stated that the incident with (corrections officer) Anderson either caused the fracture or exacerbated it,” court documents said.
Warren was offered Tylenol and Ibuprofen for pain and inflammation.
“The allegations in this lawsuit reflect a breakdown of basic professional and moral duties,” Alex Straus, an attorney from the Milberg law firm who is also representing Warren, said in a statement. “Public trust depends on transparency and accountability. Those who wield authority must be held to the highest standards.”