Dr. Justin Spies alleges forced stripping, excessive force at Shawnee County jail and demands firings
Loading...
Summary
In public comment Dr. Justin Spies alleged he was forcibly stripped naked and subjected to excessive force at the Shawnee County Detention Center, said the county offered a $1,001 settlement, and demanded multiple staff firings; a second commenter corroborated that on at least one occasion a nurse said refusal to answer non-identifying questions would trigger suicide-watch/stripping.
During public comment at a Shawnee County Board work session, Dr. Justin Spies accused jail staff of unconstitutional and abusive treatment during his arrest and detention and urged the board to fire multiple corrections staff and leadership.
"They used excessive force to strip me naked against my will," Spies said, describing being held in isolation, denied timely medical care and phone contact, and left naked for approximately 16 hours. He said he has filed a lawsuit over the incident and that the county had offered a settlement of $1,001. "What an absolute ******* joke," he said, demanding that the commission require jail director Bridal Cole to fire Sergeant White and several named officers and nurses.
A second commenter, who identified himself as Michael and said he was acting as a press observer when arrested with Dr. Spies, told commissioners he heard a jail nurse tell him that if he refused to answer non-identifying questions staff would strip him and place him on suicide watch. Michael said he observed the same nurses back on duty when he later visited the jail to retrieve property and that he intends to pursue legal action and to look for others with similar experiences.
Neither the sheriff's office nor jail leadership spoke during the meeting; commissioners did not announce any immediate action during the session. Spies said the events occurred on Sept. 8, 2025 (and earlier incidents were described in March) and that charges stemming from at least one arrest remain pending. He urged the board to investigate and remove staff he identified by name.
The commission received the comments during the public-comment portion of the work session and then moved on; no formal vote or direction to staff was recorded in the transcript.
