Former Louisville corrections officer charged by FBI heads to trial
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A corrections officer arrested by the FBI after breaking an inmate’s jaw and eye socket is heading to trial.
Darrell Taylor was charged in June.
In a video obtained by WAVE News Troubleshooters for an investigative report, Taylor is seen punching inmate Brandon Robertson multiple times. Once Robertson was unconscious, Taylor is seen flipping the inmate around, slamming his head on the jail floor.
The impact broke his orbital, or eye socket. Taylor’s punches broke Robertson’s jaw.
“It breaks your heart,” Robertson’s attorney, David Yates, said at the time. “Completely defenseless.”
Moments before the punches, Taylor is seen stretching before grabbing Robertson by the shirt.
Robertson was homeless and suffers from severe mental health issues, Yates said. He had a non-violent criminal history and had been brought into the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, or LMDC, for a stolen moped and trespassing.
He was being held on a $1,000 bond.
Taylor was investigated by the FBI’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Task Force for civil rights violations.
He pleaded not guilty and headed to court.
According to court records, Taylor’s trial is expected to begin on Monday.
The incident happened in December 2020. Taylor was suspended, then fired from the department.
If convicted, Taylor could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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