A 23-year-old detainee was fatally stabbed at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday afternoon during a fight that left four others injured, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said Friday that Dayvion Blake was killed when “a dispute between a group of inmates” led to multiple stabbings inside the troubled facility.
Three other detainees were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, and a fourth stabbing victim was treated by the jail’s medical staff, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said. Blake was pronounced dead at the hospital about 3:30 p.m.
He had been in custody since Jan. 25 and faced several charges, including cocaine possession and battery, jail records show. Ammons said Blake was being held on previous charges stemming from his most recent arrest and that he had a warrant in Sumter County for aggravated assault.
Thursday’s jail stabbings are being investigated by the Atlanta Police Department, which is expected to release the names and charges of the other detainees involved in the deadly jailhouse brawl.
The fatal stabbing brings the number of Fulton County inmates who have died in recent weeks to five, and the notoriously dangerous jail is under review by the U.S. Justice Department.
In a statement, Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat called the recent outbreak of violence concerning, but not surprising.
He cited the persistent overcrowding in his facility and said the jail’s crumbling walls are being crafted into makeshift weapons that detainees have used to attack each other and his staff.
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“We have had an unfortunate series of deaths this year that range from natural causes, to pre-existing health conditions, to homicide,” Labat said, noting his department has been trying to mitigate the overcrowding by sending some detainees to other jails.
“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,” the sheriff said in the statement.
Between 2009 and October 2022, more than 60 Fulton detainees died, the highest total for any jail in Georgia during that time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found. Blake was the ninth Fulton County inmate to die in custody since the start of this year.
Labat has petitioned county commissioners for a new jail since taking office, saying the current detention center in northwest Atlanta has been overcrowded since it opened in 1989.
Building a replacement jail is expected to cost at least $1.7 billion, but Labat said a new facility would alleviate overcrowding, improve security and help save lives.
Blake’s death comes days after 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump, were booked at the jail after being accused of trying to overturn the results of his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. Most of them were released in less than an hour.
Asked about the jail conditions Thursday evening, Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis said the county is long overdue for a new facility.
“We should have had a new jail 15 years ago,” she said. “People deserve to be housed humanely, even when they’ve been accused of crimes.”
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