The family of a man fatally stabbed at the Fulton County Jail in August gathered Wednesday in search of answers and justice. Ten people have died this year in Fulton County’s custody.
Dayvion Blake, 23, died Aug. 31 when “a dispute between a group of inmates” led to multiple stabbings inside the troubled facility, the sheriff’s office said. The fight left four others injured.
Six people were charged with murder in Blake’s death, according to jail and court records.
Family attorney Michael Harper said Wednesday Blake was stabbed by rival inmates on a cellblock where the locks don’t work.
“We are sick and tired of coming out here almost every month talking about another death at the jail,” Harper said during a news conference. “Mr. Blake had not been convicted of any crime. He really was just waiting for his day in court.”
Sheriff’s office reports show a number of incidents involving Blake took place after he was arrested in January, including three other stabbings at the jail. At times, detention officers noted Blake’s mental state and asked for him to be moved to the mental health unit and for a mental health evaluation.
Following a July 5 stabbing at the lockdown zone of the jail, detention officers noted inmates could open and close cell doors by manipulating a manual override mechanism.
“Due to this security breach, inmates are no longer protected from other inmates because the cell doors are so easily opened by these criminals,” the incident report reads.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Harper said the sheriff’s office knew that there were inmates going after Blake. According to an incident report from March, Blake told a detention officer he feared for his life and asked to be moved to another area of the jail.
Blake had been in custody since Jan. 25 and faced several charges, including cocaine possession and battery, jail records show. According to court documents, Blake was denied bond on Jan. 26 but would later be granted a $15,500 bond on June 20.
Accompanied by local activists and Blake’s family, Harper said they plan to file a notice with the county with their intent to sue in the coming days.
The press conference came a day after the family of Samuel Lawrence announced their intent to sue the county over his death at the jail, Channel 2 Action News reported. Lawrence was found unresponsive in his cell on Aug. 26, just days after filing a civil rights complaint against the jail.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Family members described Blake, who was from Atlanta, as a family-oriented good father and life of the party.
“He was full of life, just a great person whose life ended too soon. He was still in his prime, so there is a lot he didn’t get to experience, do yet or grow into yet,” Sonya Marqis, Blake’s aunt, said. “He was just a great person, affectionate smile, family-oriented, hardworking.”
Blake had a 2-year-old daughter.
“This little girl, 2-year-old, will never have her daddy again,” Harper said. “Why? Because the jail is not working properly.”
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is seeking to fill openings for 30 detention officers. The job requires a high school or GED diploma, pays between $54,000 and $70,828 annually and features medical, dental and vision benefits along with a 401(k).
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.
Sheriff Pat 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.
The jail is now under review by state and federal agencies. The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into jail conditions in July. Earlier this month, a Georgia Senate panel was put together to look into overcrowding, a backlog of cases and dangerous conditions.
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs said Labat is responsible for the jail deaths.
“There are 159 counties in Georgia. This seems to be the only county to continually have jail death after jail death after jail death,” he said. “If 158 other sheriffs can figure out how to address this problem, he may need to talk to them.”
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