Guard recovering after stabbing at troubled jail in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. - A jail guard is recovering after he was stabbed in the neck over the weekend at a jail in Atlanta that is currently under a federal consent decree.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office says the guard was stabbed Saturday by 18-year-old Bakari Stokes-Martin.

The officer remained hospitalized Monday in stable condition following emergency surgery and was expected to recover.

A sheriff’s statement says Stokes-Martin stabbed the officer with a shank when he was asked to remove a blanket covering his upper body.

Stokes-Martin has been jailed since February 2024, when he was arrested on charges including murder.

Deputies detained and searched Stokes-Martin, finding that he was carrying five shanks.

Stokes-Martin had been in jail for murder, aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children since Feb. 10, according to the sheriff’s office.

He has now been charged with five counts of possession of dangerous weapon or drugs by inmate, four counts of possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, three counts of aggravated assault against law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty and one count of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence.

The jail has long been known as a hotbed for violence. In November, the Department of Justice accused the jail of violating inmates’ rights after a months-long investigation, citing the high risk of violence and sexual assault, inhumane housing conditions, officers’ use of excessive force and more.

Earlier this year, the sheriff’s office said it would enter a consent order with the department, which legally binds it to an improvement plan laid out by government officials.