Clayton County inmate allegedly stabs, kills another inmate, sheriff’s office says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Clayton County Jail inmate is facing more charges after he allegedly stabbed and killed another inmate on Wednesday, according to the county sheriff’s office.

Deputies said the death resulted from a fight between three men. Hakim Shahid, 29, attacked 31-year-old Megale Chadwick unprovoked in the jail’s dayroom around 6 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. Video footage shows him landing punches on top of Chadwick. But then 21-year-old Nicholas Hill allegedly joined from upstairs, stabbing Shahid with a shank made from the building’s structure, according to the sheriff’s office.

Shahid was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. Hill now faces additional charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of prohibited items, according to the sheriff’s office.

Hill previously faced several charges, including riot in a penal institution, aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

“Sheriff Levon Allen and the entire Clayton County Sheriff’s Office extend their deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Hakim Shahid during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.

Shahid isn’t the only inmate to be killed at the jail this year. On Jan. 4, Abdul Woodard allegedly beat his cellmate to death. He faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and simple battery.

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Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen previously said the jail was overcrowded, with more than 300 inmates sleeping on cell floors.

“When one inmate uses the toilet and the other inmate’s head is down by the toilet, you will have fights. And when you are in a room where everything in the room is steel, metal or concrete, it becomes a deadly cage match,” he said.

In April, former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill slammed Allen’s management of the jail on social media. He claimed the sheriff’s office is $14 million over budget while Allen allegedly spent millions of dollars on electric vehicles and thousands on clothing. Hill also said Allen allowed unlimited overtime for friends and family members on the payroll.

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Allen fired back, saying Hill’s “love for power overcame his duty to serve the citizens honorably.”

In 2022, Hill was found guilty of violating inmates’ rights and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release.