Men stabbed by fellow inmate while handcuffed sue officers

A lawsuit alleges officers at an Ohio prison watched and laughed as an inmate slipped his handcuffs, pulled out a blade, and repeatedly stabbed four fellow prisoners who were handcuffed to a table and couldn't defend themselves.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday by two of the injured men, Shamieke Pugh and Maurice Lee, also alleges officers hadn't strip-searched the attacker as required and didn't provide first aid to the bleeding inmates.

All four survived the 2017 attack at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.

The lawsuit against the warden, two officers and other staff alleges civil rights violations, including different treatment of the attacker, who is white, and the injured inmates, who are black.

Messages seeking comment were left for Ohio's prisons department and the union representing prison officers.