Inmate beats cellmate to death in ‘racially-motivated’ attack, Clayton County sheriff says

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies are investigating a “racially-motivated” murder of an inmate at the Clayton County Jail on Sunday.

On Monday, Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was at the Clayton County Jail, where authorities said the inmate killed his cellmate with his bare hands.

The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said Jaquez Jackson beat his cellmate to death by punching, kicking and slamming the other inmate’s head on a toilet.

“Inmate Jaquez Jackson stated several times he does not like Mexican/Hispanics and wanted to kill them,” deputies said.

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“He can get violent,” said Dalton Lowery, Jr., a former corrections officer.

Lowery says he used to work as a corrections officer at the jail and came in contact with Jackson on several different occasions.

“There’s been some situations where I’m rotating the units and I hear some ruckus going on and he’s in there fighting a roommate,” Lowery said.

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“The conditions at the Clayton County Jail in my opinion are catastrophic,” attorney Akil Secret.

Secret told Washington he does not represent Jackson or the victim’s family in this case, but represents another Clayton County Jail inmate he says was stabbed in the head.

In January, Channel 2 Action News showed you a violent attack on a jail detainee. He survived but was stabbed 23 times inside the Clayton County Jail.

“Many of the people who are injured in these instances are people who are in jail for misdemeanor cases, minor offenses and they’ve placed them in jail cells with people who are historically known to be violent persons,” Secret said.

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Sheriff Levon Allen says he is working to make safety improvements at the jail.

He asked for more than $6 million in additional funding to expand the jail’s capacity and properly classify inmates.

Lowery tells Washington even more needs to happen and soon.

“When I tell you it’s bad, there are doors wide open. There are individuals who can be attacked on site, whether you have an officer there or not,” Lowery explained.

The sheriff’s office did not release the name of Jackson’s cellmate. Officials have charged Jackson with malice murder, aggravated assault and starting a penal riot.

The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have been contacted.

Clayton County corrections officer allowed inmate to get assaulted inside jail cell, sheriff says Clayton County sheriff officials announced the arrest of an eighth jail employee after officials say he assisted in the assault of an inmate.

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