Fulton County sheriff asks for help against violence in county jail

Stabbing death of inmate opens dialogue about Fulton County Jail

Sheriff Pat Labat says city leaders can't continue to delay giving help to the county jail. Last month, an inmate was stabbed to death. Labat says the overflow of inmate should be put into the city jail.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The sheriff of Fulton County is urging members of the Atlanta City Council to help the county jail. This comes after an inmate was stabbed to death just last month.

"I am moving in a space where people's lives are in danger. Since we met last, we had someone openly murdered in our facility," Sheriff Patrick Labat shared in a council meeting.

A sharp object was used to slice a 33-year-old Fulton County Jail inmate.

Sources told FOX 5 Atlanta's Morse Diggs the inmate's body was concealed for a time inside a housing pod.

The sheriff outlined dangerous conditions, including the confiscation of homemade weapons at such a number that it filled a wheelbarrow.

Besides the weapons, there seems to also be an issue with space.

FOX 5 Atlanta received photos of what looks like inmates laying on the floor, rather than a bed, in plastic doggie trays.

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The appeal was an attempt to get the city council to support an agreement between the office of Mayor Andre Dickens and Fulton County to open up the nearly empty city jail to hold overflow.

The city council session held Monday was loud and out of control.

Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari was one who wouldn't agree to the plan until she saw a full report on why Fulton County remains understaffed and other issues within that facility.

Others, like Councilman Michael Julian Bond, argued that inmates should be transferred immediately.

"It does not 90 days, it is a stall tactic. Why would we delay anything when it comes to people's lives?" the sheriff asked.

FOX 5 Atlanta will keep you updated on what happens to that plan.