Three Fulton County Jail guards are facing several criminal charges after investigators determined they had unlawfully used stun guns on two inmates, jail and court records show.
Detention Officers Chantrece Buggs, Khadijah Solomon and LaQuondria Pierce are facing charges of aggravated assault and violation of oath by a public officer after Fulton County Sheriff investigators reviewed body camera footage from two separate incidents inside of the jail.
“These arrests are part of an ongoing effort to uphold professional standards and ensure the humane treatment of all residents in our custody,” said Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat.
“The Sheriff’s Office has reaffirmed its dedication to enforcing strict policies against misconduct and has vowed to continue working toward reforms that improve jail conditions.”
Fulton Sheriff spokesperson Natalie Ammons said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible. All three guards have posted bond and are awaiting release, she added.
The arrests come more than a month after the U.S. Department of Justice and Fulton County reached a legally binding consent decree following a federal investigation that found the conditions in the Rice Street facility “abhorrent” and “unconstitutional.”
In particular, guards too often resorted to violence against detainees following small infractions and used solitary confinement in unconstitutional and discriminatory ways, the DOJ said in a scathing 97-page report.
Both of the incidents leading to the three officers’ arrests involved an unlawful use of a stun gun, records show.
On Feb. 13, investigators said, Pierce used her stun gun on a handcuffed inmate she was escorting inside of the jail after the inmate told her to stop pushing him.
On Jan. 16, investigators said Solomon approached an inmate who was kicking his cell door and said, “I’m about to pop his ass” shortly before unlocking the cell and using her stun gun on the inmate, who was holding a tray.
Solomon then demanded the inmate get up and face the wall before using her stun gun on him again. Then she again told him to stand and stunned him a third time, records show.
As this unfolded, investigators say Buggs encouraged the violence.
Investigators added that Solomon concealed her actions in an incident report in an “attempt to cover up what truly happened.” She is facing additional charges of cruelty to an inmate and false statements.
The inmate who was repeatedly stunned was taken for medical care, according to the arrest warrants.
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