Another inmate was recently found dead in their cell in the Fulton County Jail, according to a press release by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO).
On Wednesday, the FCSO announced that inmate Samuel Lawrence, age 34, was found unresponsive in his unit cell on August 26 at approximately 4:20 p.m. as detention officers were conducting dinner rounds.
Upon being discovered by the detention officers, Lawrence was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Lawrence, being held on a $30,000 bond, was arrested by the Atlanta Police Department and booked at the jail last year on December 26, 2022, for 2nd Degree Arson.
Lawrence’s death comes after three other inmates passed away at the jail in August, as previously reported by The Georgia Star News.
On August 2, the FCSO announced that inmate Montay Stinson, 40, was found unresponsive with no apparent signs of injury in his cell two days prior on July 31.
Ten days later, on August 12, the FCSO announced that inmate Christopher Smith, 34, was found by a detention officer unresponsive in a medical unit cell on August 10. Medical personnel resuscitated Smith, and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital; however, he died on August 11.
Six days later, on August 18, the FCSO announced that inmate Alexander Hawkins, age 66, was found unresponsive in his medical unit cell on August 17. Hawkins was pronounced dead after medical personnel failed to revive him.
In all four cases, the FCSO added in its press releases, “The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.”
In Lawrence’s case, the FCSO added that the Atlanta Police Department will conduct a death investigation in addition to the Medical Examiner’s autopsy.
The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia are currently investigating various issues at the Fulton County Jail, including inmate deaths, living conditions, medical and mental health care, excessive force, and protection from violence. The investigation will also examine whether there is discrimination against individuals with psychiatric disabilities within the jail.
The investigation was launched months after the death of an inmate, Lashawn Thompson, who was found dead in a cell on the jail’s psychiatric floor infested with bed bugs and insects. The jail has also faced accusations of being structurally unsafe.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network.
