Keith Howard v. C.O. II Barnett, C.C.O. I Johnson C.O. I Malone

BOWMAN, Circuit Judge.

Keith Howard, a Missouri prisoner, sued Terry Barnett, a Missouri corrections officer, claiming that Barnett violated the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution by using excessive force against him. The jury rendered a verdict in Howard’s favor, and Barnett appeals. We reverse and remand for a new trial.

*870I.

The facts of this case were hotly contested at trial. For purposes of this appeal, we accept Howard’s version of the events in question.

Upon Howard’s return from an outside medical visit in March 1991, Corrections…