The inmate who filed an excessive force complaint last year against Rapides Parish Sheriff's correctional officers, resulting in five being fired, has filed a federal lawsuit.

Shreveport attorney Douglas Lee Harville filed the lawsuit on March 2 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on behalf of Jordan Arnold, a 29-year-old Deville resident who was in the Rapides Parish Detention Center on March 19, 2018.

Harville told The Town Talk Friday afternoon that he had no comment. Richardson had no attorney listed as of Monday morning.

Attorney Brad Calvit, representing Hilton and the sheriff's office, said Monday he would have no comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleges that Arnold's constitutional, civil and statutory rights were violated and seeks a jury trial for compensatory and punitive damages.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Sheriff William Earl Hilton and the sheriff's office, fired correctional officer Cody Darnell Richardson and "other unnamed officers and deputies."

According to the lawsuit, Arnold was "at or near" his cell in the downtown Alexandria jail when he was ordered to go inside and shut the door. A "known technical difficulty" with the cell door delayed Arnold, displeasing Richardson, it reads.

The lawsuit also states that Richardson was frustrated with Arnold because he allegedly interrupted the correction officer while he was trying to eat cereal. Richardson became hostile toward Arnold, it reads.

The confrontation allegedly took place with other correctional officers and inmates nearby.

The lawsuit claims that Richardson "suddenly, unexpectedly, without consent, without warning, and without probable cause, reasonable suspicion, reasonable cause, or other statutory authority tazed Arnold repeatedly, initially while Arnold was standing and then when Arnold was defenseless on the ground."

Other officers stood by or walked away, it reads. Nobody tried to stop Richardson, who the lawsuit alleges tortured and mocked Arnold while threatening more violence.

Neither Richardson nor any other officer offered medical aid to Arnold after the incident, even though he requested it, it reads.

The lawsuit states Richardson's alleged shocking of Arnold was "without just cause, was extreme, outrageous, and excessive, and was in violation of reasonable police/corrections standards, policies, and training, including failure to exercise reasonable precautions to protect the safety of himself and others; it also deliberately exposed Richardson, Arnold, and others to a dangerous situation."

The lawsuit claims that reports about the incident were not made "in a timely manner," and that Arnold reported the incident through a Prison Rape Elimination Act hotline on March 21, 2018.

The act was passed by Congress in 2003.

The lawsuit also alleges that Hilton and the sheriff's office failed to establish or enforce "policies, procedures, customs, practices and/or operations" for the treatment and punishment of those incarcerated in its facilities.

Richardson was fired and arrested the next day — March 22, 2018 — after the sheriff office's Internal Affairs Division began an investigation. At the time, officials said more deputies could be involved.

Related:Rapides corrections officer arrested

The next week, four more corrections officers were fired and — John D. Aaron IV, Bradley Jacob Cohenour, Marlon Jerel Creecy and Quitina Kenyaka Frazier.

A Rapides Parish grand jury indicted all five on various charges, but the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office dropped all charges against them on Feb. 27.

Related: Indictments of former Rapides deputies bring federal investigation

At the time Richardson was fired, Hilton made a statement about the situation.

" ... we hold our employees to a very high standard and when they cross the line, we act quickly and justly to rectify their actions," it read in part.

The district cases were put on hold after the FBI opened a civil rights investigation, it was revealed in July 2108. No federal charges yet have been filed against Richardson or any other person in connection to the case.

No court dates have been set in the case so far.

Read the lawsuit