CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Employees at the Clayton County Jail were fired following an internal investigation of an inmate's death.
Terry Lee Thurmond, 38, died after officers used a Taser on him during a struggle, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Thurmond struggled with officers after they tried to stop him from jumping off the second floor. GBI investigators believe officers then used a stun gun on Thurmond.
Thurmond was taken to a hospital where he later died. The GBI was performing an autopsy to determine what exactly caused his death.
The internal investigation concluded that the jail’s policies and procedures weren’t followed when officers were interacting with Thurmond. Following the investigation, “all employees directly involved were terminated for policy violations,” according to Chief Deputy Levon Allen with the Clayton County Sheriff's Office.
Allen did not release the names of the employees involved. The GBI is still conducting its own separate investigation. Currently, the GBI did not state why officers chose to use a Taser on Thurmond.
Attorneys for Thurmond's family released a statement about his death.
"While the family is pleased that the officers responsible for causing Mr. Thurmond’s death have been fired, there must be full transparency. On behalf of the family, we are demanding an immediate release of all information surrounding Terry's death," the statement said from Reynolds Law Group. "It is in the public's interest to release this information without delay. The family deserves justice and the residents of Clayton County are crying out for accountability at all levels from those that are sworn to protect and serve them."
The investigation comes after a former Clayton County Sheriff was found guilty of six felony civil rights charges. Former Sheriff Victor Hill was accused of forcing several inmates into restraint chairs for hours at a time. Hill was found guilty in October of 2022, one month before Thurmond died.