TribLive: “A man awaiting trial at the Allegheny County Jail filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the county and several officers at the lockup alleging he was stunned repeatedly with a Taser, including in his groin, causing long-term injuries.

Kush Wilkerson, 29, makes claims for excessive use of force and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

‘Plaintiff Kush Wilkerson brings this lawsuit to seek justice against several correctional officers who brutally assaulted him at the Allegheny County Jail, the supervisors who knowingly enabled this brutality, and to bring awareness to the manner in which incarcerated people are treated in this county,’ the lawsuit said.

Abigail Gardner, a county spokewoman, declined comment.

Wilkerson, of Pittsburgh, is awaiting trial in September on charges of robbery and aggravated assault.

He has been held in the jail since July 5, 2023, and was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

The lawsuit, filed by the Abolitionist Law Center, names as defendants three sergeants, including Hunter Sarver, William Sunday and Jason Holt, as well as officers Cody Covine and William Kemp.

It also sues the former warden, Orlando Harper, who retired in September 2023; Jason Beasom, a former deputy warden; and unidentified officers.

Sarver has been named as a defendant in at least six other federal lawsuits. In four instances, the cases were either dismissed for procedural deficiencies or Sarver was terminated as a defendant. Two lawsuits in federal court against Sarver are still pending.”

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