GBI investigating after Clayton inmate falls into coma

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into how a jail inmate ended up in a coma.

Inmate Kevin Guerrier's family told Channel 2 they believe this is a case of brutality.

Two of the four employees involved are on paid leave as Guerrier is fighting for his life at Southern Regional Medical Center in Clayton County.

"His condition is not great right now," cousin Carline Pierre said.

The GBI is trying to piece together what happened inside the Clayton County Jail that left 25-year-old Guerrier in a coma, on life support with a head injury.

"To see him laying in that hospital bed as injured as he is, that's heart-breaking," friend Mika Pam said.

Guerrier was arrested after trying to attack a judge during a child support hearing earlier this month, police said. His family said hours after his arrest, he was taken to the hospital, supposedly for dialysis treatment, but doctors discovered the inmate had a head injury, instead.

"He called his girlfriend four to five times and he said he was beat up inside the jail and the police beat him up inside the jail and he was having headaches," Pierre said.

Sheriff Kem Kimbrough said he called in the GBI to investigate if Guerrier received proper care and if appropriate force was used. He's also concerned that improper paperwork may have been filed about the inmate's medical care.

"Any time an inmate is injured or has a medical condition, I would want to look that family in the eye and tell them we did our best," Kimbrough said.

A prayer vigil is scheduled for Guerrier at the hospital on Wednesday.

WSBTV