Clayton County inmate death officially ruled homicide

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The death of a Clayton County inmate has officially been ruled a homicide.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, on Nov. 28, 2022, 38-year-old Terry Thurmond, who was being held on trespassing charges, was trying to jump from the second-floor balcony of the pod. Other inmates tried to stop him until officers stepped in.

Weeks after the incident, the officers directly involved were fired. In December, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said they alerted the public about an incident involving the death of an inmate.

In a statement, Chief Deputy Levon Allen said:

On November 28th, I alerted the public that an incident involving the death of an inmate had occurred and that I brought in the G.B.I. to investigate the matter. While the criminal aspect of the investigation is still under review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, an administrative investigation was handled by the Sheriff’s Office’s Internal Affairs Unit as to whether policies and procedures were followed.

As a result, all employees directly involved were terminated for policy violations.

The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the manner of death in this case is by Homicide.

The case is still being investigated by the GBI.

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