TKiree Twiggs and Jo Ann LopezALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say two north Florida prison guards are accused of using excessive force against inmates and then lying about it.

The Florida Department of Corrections reports that Correctional Officers  were arrested Wednesday and charged with battery and falsifying official records. The department is also firing them from their positions at Suwannee Correctional Institution near Live Oak.

The department issued a news release saying Lopez applied chemical agents without provocation to two inmates during a counseling session in June.

The release says Twiggs then slammed both inmates on the ground without justification. Investigators say both officers later submitted falsified official documents in an attempt to justify their improper use of force.

It wasn’t immediately known if either officer had an attorney.