Dead inmate's family refutes claims of court misconduct

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. —
The family of a Clayton County Jail inmate who died this week refuted claims that he lunged at a judge and that, in so doing, he provoked the scuffle that may have caused his death.

Kevin Guerrier, 25, died Monday.

"He's not the monster they're making him out to be," his brother, Edwin Labossiere, told Channel 2's Manuel Bojorquez. "He was a lot better."

Clayton deputies said they had to restrain Guerrier on April 6 during a hearing on child support payments after he made an aggressive move toward the judge.

But, in front of the H.R. Banke Justice Center Friday, his family, surrounded by attorneys and community activists, said that never happened.

"The allegation was he made some aggressive move or lunge toward the judge, and an attorney in the courtroom says that, in fact, did not happen," attorney Mawuli Davis said.

Guerrier's girlfriend, Kenshimar Bethea, said she received a text message from him after the hearing, in which he said he had been "beaten up."

Clayton County Sheriff Kem Kimbrough launched an investigation last week and asked the GBI to investigate as well.

"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 told Channel 2 Action News last week.

After the events in the courtroom, Guerrier was taken to the jail and then to Southern Regional Medical Center for a dialysis treatment.

It was after that, Kimbrough said, he learned the inmate was dead.

Two jail employees are on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigations.

WSBTV