Inmate tunnels through wall and stabs man in next cell, prison officials say
The man allegedly dug a hole in a wall at the Rice Street Jail in Fulton County.
Kavian Thomas, a man currently incarcerated at Rice Street Jail in Fulton County, Georgia, dug a hole in a shower wall, giving him access to the adjacent cell block, where he allegedly launched an attack on Derondney Russell, on May 17, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Thomas allegedly stabbed Russell multiple times once he walked through the wall and into Russell’s cell, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Thursday.
Russell suffered “superficial stab wounds to his upper body” and was treated in the prison’s medical unit for his injuries, officials said.
A hole believed to have been created by an inmate is seen in this photo taken May 18, 2023 and released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
After the incident, officers checked both cells and discovered multiple weapons in both cells, some made “from parts of the building’s dilapidated infrastructure,” the statement said.
“This jail has clearly exceeded its useful life,” Fulton County Jail Acting Commanding Officer Curtis Clark said in the news release. “This reality makes it even more difficult for us to do our job of providing the safest environment possible, not only for staff but also for inmates.”
The sheriff’s office said Thomas would face additional criminal charges for the attack.
ABC News
