Johnson v. McCowan

Corey Johnson was the victim of a gruesome canine attack inside Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison. On May 20, 2020, Canine Officer McCowan maliciously deployed his canine against Mr. Johnson as he was lying motionless and face down on the ground with his arms extended outward. Mr. Johnson’s right wrist and arm were mauled, and he was dragged several feet by the dog. The Virginia Department of Corrections continues to allow the use of unmuzzled canines to terrify and attack people in order to ensure their compliance with prison guard orders. These VDOC policies enable officers like Defendant McCowan, who engage canines to bite or physically restrain incarcerated people in a malicious, violent, and brutal fashion. RBB argues that the conduct of such officers within VDOC detention facilities constitutes a clear violation of the constitutional rights of prisoners, including Mr. Johnson.

Corey E. Johnson vs. Canine Officer McCowan, Case No. 7:20-cv-00582

Read the Complaint.