FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An inmate was stabbed and killed at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening, according to the sheriff's office.
His name was released Friday, Leonard Fortner, 37, and according to the sheriff's office, Fortner was stabbed multiple times by another inmate named Edward Cherry. The 36-year-old was housed in the same area.
According to a release, Cherry attacked Fortner before 6:30 p.m. Fortner was then taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m.
During a Friday evening press conference, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said Fortner was stabbed with a piece of metal fashioned into a knife, highlighting the deteriorating condition of the jail.
"The Fulton County Jail is in crisis and has been in crisis for decades," Labat said. "The conditions have far outlived its life cycle."
Sheriff Labat went on to say the Fulton County Board of Commissioners played a large part in the jail's ongoing issues with its recent decisions to end incentives for workers, like sign-on bonuses and double overtime.
"The BOC has actually failed us," he said.
However, some members of the county board of commissioners said the problem lies within the jail itself. 11Alive reached out to Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, and she said the issue stems from management and accountability.
"Let's be crystal clear about what this is. This is a management problem that, unfortunately, is ending up in people losing their lives," she said. "Until we address the issue of management, then we're not tackling what I called 'the elephant in the room.'"
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement following the latest death at the jail, saying, "I am extremely concerned about the crisis at the Fulton County Jail. All human life must become a priority to Fulton County. Historically, the Fulton County Commission has underfunded quality of life services for inmates, physical and mental health services for County residents and people are paying the price—at times, with their lives.“
Abdur-Rahman said she wanted residents to know the county commission wants to work with the sheriff.
"It's no us versus them," she said. "This is about tackling the issues of the jail and making sure that nobody else loses their life.
Fortner was arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on Jan. 2 and charged with criminal damage to property and was being held without bond, the sheriff's office said.
In addition, Cherry has been held without bond since April 5, 2020, on numerous charges, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy, and APD is investigating the incident as a homicide.
This is at least the second reported inmate who died stemming from an incident at the Fulton County Jail this year. In January, 36-year-old Michael Anthony Holland was found unresponsive inside the jail.
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