Parents of Stabbed Fulton County Detainee Sue Sheriff Over Jail Violations and Unsafe Conditions

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The parents of Leonard Fortner, a Fulton County detainee who was fatally stabbed 20 times in April 2024, are suing the sheriff and the county for failing to protect their son in a dangerous jail environment. The lawsuit, filed on the anniversary of Fortner's death, claims that he was placed in the general population despite being vulnerable as an HIV-positive and LGBTQ+ individual. The suit alleges ongoing mismanagement and unsafe conditions at the Rice Street facility, where Fortner was attacked by another inmate using a weapon made from the jail's deteriorating walls.