BATON ROUGE — Three former East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputies on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the alleged beating and pepper spraying of a parish prison inmate.

Elijah Christopher, Julius Conner and Noah Jenkins all pleaded not guilty to battery at a bond review hearing at the 19th JDC in downtown Baton Rouge. Christopher also faces three counts of assault and two counts of malfeasance in office.

The three men are accused of striking and pepper spraying a handcuffed detainee while the incident was filmed. Christopher is also charged in the abuse of two other inmates.

The video was found after deputies searched Christopher's phone. Deputies said the video showed the men laughing during the alleged beating. Christopher was also allegedly jumping up and down with excitement.

Warrants say the incident was never submitted in a report, which deputies are required to complete daily.

The three men were fired and arrested in October shortly after the video was uncovered.