LANCASTER, KY — Three Lancaster police officers have been placed on administrative leave after the family of an 84-year-old man said he was beaten during a struggle with police last week. Ronald Maples is recovering from injuries he suffered in the encounter, which happened Friday evening, Aug. 28.
Maples’ attorney, Ephraim Helton of Danville, said he has asked the U.S. attorney’s office, the Kentucky attorney general, Kentucky State Police and the commonwealth’s attorney to investigate. Helton also provided photos of Maples’ injuries and a copy of the arrest citation that officers left at the man’s home.
Attorney says the injuries were severe and should be reviewed outside Lancaster
Helton described the encounter as the worst beating he has seen in more than four decades of practicing law in central Kentucky. He said the injuries are especially troubling because Maples is 84 years old and was already vulnerable because of his age and health history.
Helton said he wants the case examined by agencies outside the Lancaster Police Department. His request includes federal, state and local prosecutors, along with Kentucky State Police, as he seeks a broader review of how the arrest was handled.
Police citation says the call began with a property dispute and threats involving a stick
According to the arrest citation, officers were sent to the home because of an ongoing property dispute. The citation says Maples allegedly threatened neighbors with a stick before police arrived.
Police also wrote that after officers made contact with Maples, he shoved open his front door and struck one officer. The citation further states that when officers tried to detain him, Maples hit another officer on the right side of the jaw with a closed fist.
Helton disputes the account and says Maples could not have used a closed fist
Helton pushed back on key parts of the police version of events. He said Maples is five feet seven inches tall and has limited use of his left hand after a skill saw accident that nearly severed his left thumb.
Because of that injury, Helton said, Maples cannot close his left hand into a fist. He argued that if Maples had struck an officer on the right side of the face, it would have been more likely with the left hand, not with a closed fist as described in the citation.
Officer injuries, ambulance response and marks on Maples are central to the dispute
The citation says officers called for an ambulance after the struggle and noted cuts to Maples’ face and arms. Those details are part of the written account now being weighed against the family’s claims.
Helton said Maples also has bruising along his sides that he believes is consistent with someone being beaten while on the ground. He shared photos of the injuries with Spectrum News as part of the effort to press for a deeper investigation into the confrontation.
Lancaster’s mayor orders an internal investigation as calls for criminal charges grow
Lancaster’s mayor said Tuesday that the city has launched an internal investigation into the officers. In a Facebook post, the mayor said the allegations are serious and that it is his responsibility to make sure the matter is handled fairly, thoroughly and according to law.
The mayor said any action will depend on the facts and findings that come out of the review. Helton, meanwhile, said he is seeking criminal charges against the three officers and argued they should never wear a badge again.
Maples faces charges while his family says surgery may be needed
Maples’ citation lists charges including assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. Those accusations remain part of the case even as the family presses its own complaint about the officers’ actions.
Helton said Maples is having a difficult recovery and will likely need surgery for skin grafts soon. For now, the case has become a test of how Lancaster and outside agencies handle competing accounts of a violent arrest involving an elderly resident.
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