ATLANTA — An argument among inmates at the Fulton County Jail led to multiple stabbings on Thursday afternoon with one person left dead, authorities said.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, four men were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, all with stab wounds on Aug. 31. Around 3:29 p.m., deputies said one of the inmates, later identified as 23-year-old Dayvion Blake had died.
One additional inmate was stabbed and treated at the jail by medical staff, the sheriff's office said. Deputies said Blake was being held on charges relating to cocaine possession and battery. The office said he was also being held on previous charges due to his new arrest. Additionally, he had a warrant out of Sumter County for aggravated assault with no bond.
The stabbings came just days after a detainee died inside the Rice Street jail after filing a civil rights complaint citing excessive force. It was the fourth death at the jail in just the last month. The fatal stabbing now makes five deaths at the jail in just the last 30 days.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, at least 17 inmates have died in the months since LaSawn Thompson's death on Sept. 13, 2022. Four of those deaths came after the Department of Justice opened a civil investigation on July 13, 2023.
A statement was released on Friday from Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat:
“The recent outbreak of violence at the Fulton County Jail is of grave concern but unfortunately 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. We have had an unfortunate series of deaths this year that range from natural causes, to pre-existing health conditions, to homicide.
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 shakedowns in order to seize contraband. Since taking office on January 1, 2021, I have been very transparent about the urgent need for a replacement jail that uses smart technology and other common-sense cost-saving measures that will relieve the dangerous overcrowding, improve security, provide humane detainment and most importantly save lives.”
11Alive's SkyTracker flew over the scene and captured a person getting wheeled to an ambulance inside the jail property.
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