BATON ROUGE, La. – An Elayn Hunt Correctional Center employee has been booked with simple battery following an internal investigation that determined the officer used excessive force on an inmate and lied about it. Sergeant Julius Aikens of 39292 Highway 929, Prairieville, Louisiana, filed a report about the January 31, 2020, incident in which he claimed the restrained inmate made a move as if he was trying to come out of his restraints, and Aikens reacted by using force.

Last week, Warden Tim Hooper received a request from the inmate to review security camera footage of the incident. The video shows the restrained inmate walking in front of Aikens as they exchanged words. Aikens then brought the inmate to the ground and kneed him. The inmate was not physically combative during the incident. Video was not consistent with Aikens' account of the incident.

Prison officials began an internal investigation, and notified St. Gabriel Police and the FBI. St. Gabriel police detectives made the arrest.

Aikens is a probational employee. The Department is in the process of terminating him. He was hired at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center on May 28, 2019.

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