One of the two defendants in the ongoing “Young Slime Life” gang and racketeering trial was stabbed Sunday night at a Fulton County Jail annex while awaiting a jury verdict, his attorney said.
Deamonte Kendrick was stabbed at the Union City annex, his attorney Doug Weinstein said. Kendrick was back at the courthouse Monday, as the jury continued its third day of deliberations after closing arguments took place last week, according to Weinstein and the Fulton Sheriff’s Office. The jury had not reached a verdict as of 2:15 p.m. Monday.
The stabbing was first reported by Channel 2 Action News.
On Monday, Weinstein said Kendrick is doing well but has a few staples on his scalp. He said Kendrick got into a confrontation at the jail with someone but said he doesn’t know what the issue was about.
“It’s a shame that anyone that’s held in our jails has to go through that,” Weinstein said, adding that it was hard to get information about his client after the incident.
The Fulton Sheriff’s Office confirmed the stabbing took place between Kendrick and another inmate and called the incident a “physical altercation.” According to the sheriff’s office, Kendrick received treatment for minor injuries “from a sharp object” at the South Annex in Union City, where both Kendrick and the other inmate are being housed.
Officials did not say if any other inmates were injured. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating to determine who the aggressor was and if charges will be filed.
Kendrick’s co-defendant, Shannon Stillwell, was stabbed almost a year ago at the county’s Rice Street jail. Stillwell’s stabbing last December and his recovery delayed what would become the longest trial in Georgia’s history, resulting in proceedings being halted until January 2024.
Weinstein said Kendrick, who has spent more than 2 ½ years in jail, is not focusing on the incident. The attorney said he and his client are both confident Kendrick will be acquitted and are glad the incident didn’t cause further delays in the lengthy trial.
“Deamonte does not want to be in jail, and this incident does not make things any better, but he’s there,” Weinstein said. “He knows that, or at least he hopes and is confident that, he’s going to be out soon.”
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