LANCASTER, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Three Lancaster police officers are on administrative suspension while an internal investigation is underway into an encounter that left 84-year-old Ronald Maples injured.
Lancaster Mayor Michael Gaffney announced the suspensions following the incident, which occurred Friday night at Ronald's home on Colony Road.
According to Ronald's grandson, Ronnie Lee Maples, the situation began with ongoing disputes with neighbors who live behind the house, who he said were repeatedly trespassing on the property.
"I wanna see justice done," Ronnie Lee said.
"I'm not saying all cops are bad because they're not, but it just shows that there are bad ones," Ronnie Lee said.
Ronnie Lee said police arrived at Ronald's home Friday night. According to Ronnie Lee, officers pulled a no trespassing sign Ronald had placed within his property boundary out of the ground and threw it on his porch.
Ronald's attorney, Ephraim Helton, showed LEX News pictures of blood on Ronald's front porch and just inside his house.
"They had no warrant, they had no right to come inside the house and they push him in the house and they literally beat him," Helton said.
Ronald received a citation from Lancaster police. An officer stated Ronald struck him in the face on the right side with his left hand using a closed fist.
Helton disputed that account, noting a prior injury to Ronald's hand.
"If you're going to strike on the right side, you have to hit from the left if you're going to strike somebody on the right jaw facing them. His thumb had almost been severed in a skill saw accident several years ago....he cannot close that hand," Helton said.
Helton said his team will retain a human factors expert to refute the police report.
"You beat the tar out of an 84 year old man then you turn around and charge him with a felony, boy that's just awful," Helton said.
Ronald is facing charges of third-degree assault and resisting arrest. He is due in court Oct. 12.
The Lancaster Police Department does not have body cameras, which Helton identified as a major issue in the case.
"The Lancaster Police Force has a reputation for this type of conduct and I think they have a reputation throughout law enforcement here in Central Kentucky. When we've reached out to other law enforcement agencies, they do not hold the Lancaster Police in high esteem. They believe this type of conduct from Lancaster Police has been an ongoing concern."
Ronald suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries as a result of the encounter.
Practicing law for 44 years in Central Kentucky, Helton adds: "This is probably the worst beating I've ever seen by law enforcement by a citizen, especially an 84-year-old citizen."
Helton says he is proud of the Lancaster Mayor taking steps releasing the news that three police officers are now on leave as a result of the incident. As Helton continues to work on the case, one of his plans is to reach out to Commonwealth's Attorney Andy Sims, Kentucky State Police, Attorney General Russell Coleman and the U.S. Attorney's Office to do a "full blown investigation on this incident." Ephraim adds "I think criminal charges ought to be brought against these three police officers."
Wednesday, LEX News asked Helton if he could clarify the number of police officers overall who arrived at the scene.
"Our understanding, there were four but only three have been placed on administrative leave."
Helton said he visited the location of the incident on Colony Road Monday afternoon and his partner at his office visited the location Monday night.
As for Ronald's issue with the aforementioned neighbors, Helton addressed the layout of Maples' property, further questioning notes by police in the citation.
"They talk about boundary lines and that he tried to set up a false boundary line. He put stakes in the ground which mirror the surveyor pins. He didn't put a false line in, and the officers put that in their police report. Their police report is full of inaccuracies if not total untruths. The line that Maples strung up, he followed the surveyor pins, and he did that because the neighbor was driving across his yard. There were also comments made to Maples by Officer Taylor that the mayor had given these neighbors permission to drive across his yard. Well, mayors can't do that and Mayor Gaffney has refuted that. The other thing is this would have been a property dispute between neighbors...those are handled in Garrard County Circuit Court in a civil matter and not with law enforcement. I've never seen law enforcement get involved in an alleged property dispute. I don't even think we have a property dispute, you had people maybe improperly using Mr. Maples' land and so he placed a no trespassing sign within his boundary that these officers pulled out of the ground and threw on the porch."
For previous reporting on this incident, here's a link to Monday's story from LEX News including extended quotes from Ronnie Lee Maples:
3 Lancaster police officers placed on leave amid investigation, mayor says
