An altercation between two inmates in a courthouse in Shelby County, Tennessee, left one dead and another charged with murder, the Associated Press (AP) reported Friday.
Deion Byrd, 25, was stabbed in the neck at least one time during an assault in a holding area while awaiting his appearance before a judge, according to AP. He later died in the hospital.
Authorities charged another inmate, 21-year-old Donnie Clay, with the murder of Byrd. Clay is also facing a charge of bringing contraband into the jail, as a sharp object used in the stabbing had been apparently smuggled past security, per the report.
BREAKING: A man has been charged following the fatal stabbing of an inmate at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center Thursday.
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— WREG News Channel 3 (@3onyourside) October 27, 2023
The incident occurred amid a commotion when multiple inmates were brought into the court for their own respective court appearances, according to AP. Tensions reportedly escalated when Byrd accused Clay of a home break-in and spat in his face, allegedly culminating in a brawl. (RELATED: Correctional Officer Allegedly Killed By Inmate At Smith State Prison In Georgia)
“Clay said ‘I’m gonna kill you now’ and pulled a sharpened piece of metal from his waistband and chased Byrd into a nearby interview room a few feet away,” the affidavit says, according to AP.
“I was just taking the bench and I heard yelling,” Judge Paula Skahan told the outlet. “Anybody could have been attacked. I just don’t understand how this can happen.”
“His life didn’t deserve to be taken like that,” the victim’s mother, Laquita Byrd, said. “He’s gone and you are supposed to be in the safest place. You at 201 Poplar. All the metal detectors, all the sheriff’s deputies.”