FULTON COUNT, Ga. — A former Fulton County detention officer is facing more than a dozen charges after the sheriff said he stood by and allowed an inmate to get jumped and stabbed with a shank by a group of other inmates.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Sheriff Patrick Labat said Reynard Trotman has been charged with seven felony counts of violation of oath by public officer, two felony counts of aggravated assault, one felony county of cruelty to inmate, one count of conspiracy to commit felony and misdemeanor counts of battery and reckless conduct.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Human remains found in Gwinnett County identified as missing 16-year-old girl
- 16-year-old who vanished is 2nd teen to be found dead from same Gwinnett high school this week
- UGA researchers go deep into Georgia swamp to find massive gator after losing GPS signal
According to warrants, Trotman played a critical role when multiple inmates stabbed fellow inmate Devin Gatison at least 12 times with a shank on Feb. 4..
Just before midnight, investigators said Trotman allowed a group of detainees to leave their designated area inside the jail to target Gatison. The 20-year-old is in jail awaiting trial on aggravated child molestation charges.
According to the arrest affidavit, the inmates blocked Gatison into a corner and began to block and stab him. Video also showed him falling over the top mezzanine railing headfirst and landing on the floor.
The attack left Gatison with life-threatening injuries including a collapsed lung, which required emergency surgery.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The affidavit also says Gatison had made multiple attempts to tell Trotman he was in fear for his life the night before. According to the affidavit, Trotman ignored his concerns. e
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden spoke to Labat, who called the stabbing “heartbreaking” and “disappointing.”
“It’s heartbreaking. When you have someone that takes the same oath that I do to protect and serve and really be a part of our community, to find out they’re compromised,” Labat said. “You know, we have bad apples, but this proves that we are going after those bad apples.”
©2022 Cox Media Group
