Danville police officers, Walmart employee sued over alleged assault of man with dementia

DANVILLE, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A new lawsuit has been filed against the Danville Police Department and a Walmart employee, alleging that officers unlawfully arrested and assaulted a 66-year-old man with dementia inside a Walmart store last year.

The lawsuit, filed by Cindy Lou Hardwick on behalf of her husband, John H. Hardwick, claims that on October 15, 2024, Hardwick was shopping at Walmart when he was detained by an asset protection employee, Alex Hutti. Hardwick, who suffers from frontotemporal dementia, became confused when a cashier requested identification to purchase alcohol. According to the lawsuit, he was then confronted by Walmart security and later forcibly arrested by Danville police officers.

Body camera footage cited in the lawsuit allegedly shows officers slamming Hardwick into a cash register before throwing him to the ground. Officer Tony Godbey is accused of punching Hardwick six times while he was defenseless. Hardwick was later taken to the Boyle County Detention Center, but jail staff refused to admit him, citing concerns about his medical condition. The lawsuit also claims officers falsely reported that Hardwick was intoxicated and attempted to pursue criminal charges against him, which were later dismissed.

The lawsuit names the City of Danville, Police Chief Tony Gray, Assistant Chief Glenn Doan, officers Tony Godbey, Brandon Conley, and Sgt. Benjamin Ray, along with Walmart employee Alex Hutti as defendants. It alleges battery, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and defamation, among other claims.

The case has sparked public outrage, with petitions calling for the involved officers to be removed. As of now, the Danville Police Department has not issued a statement regarding the lawsuit.

This remains a developing story.