A Fulton Co. Jail inmate dug a tunnel through a wall, but he was not trying to escape

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released new details about an attack by a Fulton County Jail inmate on another inmate Wednesday.

According to officials, Kavian Thomas dug a hole through a shower wall made of concrete and metal to reach a nearby cell block and stab fellow inmate Derondney Russell.

Russell sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his upper body before being taken to the medical unit for treatment.

Deputies have not specified what Thomas and Russell were charged with before the attack.

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After Thomas’ attack on Russell, deputies at the jail searched both cell blocks, where they found “several weapons, including shanks made from parts of the dilapidated building infrastructure.”

Deputies told Channel 2 Action News Investigative Reporter Mark Winne that they’d also found seven items of contraband, including at least five weapons.

The interim Fulton County Jail commander, Curtis Clark, said the Rice Street facility’s “dangerous conditions...presents a constant challenge for us to eliminate things like this from access to the inmates.”

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The interim Fulton County Jail commander, Curtis Clark, said the Rice Street facility’s “dangerous conditions...presents a constant challenge for us to eliminate things like this from access to the inmates.”

“We found shanks that were made from parts of the building,” Clark told Winnie on Thursday, saying that the issues at the jail have made him lose “so much sleep since being assigned to run this location or this facility, it’s really … it’s difficult to talk about.”

He went further, saying that the jail has “clearly outlived its useful life” and that the “reality” of it makes the job of providing a safe environment for inmates and staff more of a challenge.

Criminal charges against Thomas for the attack are still pending.

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Deputy says man dug tunnel from one cell to another to stab inmate inside Fulton County Jail Only Channel 2 Action News got inside the facility Thursday to see the damage firsthand.

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