MACON, Ga. — Two corrections officers were shot and killed on a Georgia prison bus in 2017. Now, eight inmates say they were hurt because of it.
Timothy Dotson, Timothy Faison, James Geiger, Timothy Ghiden, Samuel Moss, J.D. Powell, Dennis Roberson, and Christopher Trammell all filed lawsuits against the Georgia Department of Corrections and some state prison officials. All eight are represented by Theodore Salter, a Kennesaw lawyer.
According to the eight separate lawsuits filed in May and early June in the U.S. District Court in Macon, the inmates claim their civil rights were violated during or after the shooting deaths of corrections officers Curtis Billue and Christopher Monica.
On June 13, 2017 Sergeant Billue and Sergeant Monica were shot and killed in Putnam County while transporting a busload of prisoners from the Baldwin State Prison.
Inmates Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe, accused of the killings, both face murder charges and the death penalty.
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The lawsuits blame the Georgia Department of Corrections, saying they failed to follow procedures.
The state report says, "the unlocked gate inside the bus, the handcuffs that were not double locked, Rowe's possession of the toothbrush, and the officer's failure to wear their firearms" created the opportunity for Rowe and Dubose.
"I think it's absurd. I think it is a crying shame that they are able to files these types of frivolous lawsuits against the state of Georgia," said Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.
Billue's sister, Denise Billue, says her brother's death does not hurt any less two years later.
"The pain has intensified because it has become more real to us that he is no longer with us," said Denise.
Another lawsuit claims the inmates "sustained serious physical injuries and emotional distress" because of the DOC's failure to follows it's own rules when transporting high-risk prisoners.
One inmate argues he was held in solitary confinement after the incident for an "extreme and prolonged time" of 210 days.
Sills says he believes the inmates on the bus could have stopped the shooting and were not harmed.
"They knew what was happening and they were treated humanely in every respect after the incident," said Sills.
The inmates also argue the prison officials failed to provide proper medical care for their injuries. They are asking for at least $250,000 a piece in damages.