Dayvion Blake, 23, was killed at the Fulton County Jail Thursday following an inmate dispute that led to stabbings. The sheriff’s department said Blake and three other inmates were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with stab wounds. One additional inmate was stabbed and treated at the jail by medical staff.
According to the sheriff’s department, Blake died at 3:29 p.m. Thursday.
For most deaths, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat blames “dangerous” jail conditions.
“The recent outbreak of violence at the Fulton County Jail is of grave concern,” he said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it is not surprising considering the long-standing, dangerous overcrowding and the crumbling walls of the facility that are literally being crafted into makeshift weapons that inmates use to attack each other and staff.”
Blake’s death is the second in less than a week and the fifth since the end of July at the detention facility.
On Saturday, Aug. 26, a detention officer on dinner rounds at the jail found Samuel Lawrence, 24, unresponsive in his jail cell.
Lawrence had been in the facility since Dec. 26, 2022 on a $30,000 bond for second-degree arson charges.
The Atlanta Police Department is investigating the stabbings and has not yet released the names and criminal charges of the inmates involved in the incident.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct autopsies on Blake and Lawrence.
Labat’s statement also referred to the need for a replacement facility:
“We have had an unfortunate series of deaths this year that range from natural causes, to pre-existing health conditions, to homicide,” he said. “To mitigate the violence and overcrowding, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is in constant negotiations with other detention facilities, including facilities out of state, to outsource inmates. In addition, we have been coordinating with other agencies to secure additional resources to assist with mass shakedowns and increase the cadence of these…
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