Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump is representing a former Fulton County Jail inmate who lost both legs after suffering a medical emergency while incarcerated.
Crump and attorney Eric Hertz are representing Rashaad Muhammad. They held a news conference April 24, alleging severe medical neglect during Muhammad’s seven-month detention at the Rice Street jail.
There are long-standing issues at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street in west Atlanta. Since 2021, more than 30 people have died in custody. Violence against inmates and detention officers, burst pipes, and fires have continually plagued the county’s main jail.
Fulton County and its sheriff’s office entered into a consent decree in January 2025, requiring the county to protect inmates from violence and house them in sanitary conditions. On April 15, the county commission approved a $1.3 billion financing plan for a new special-purpose medical facility and extensive renovations to the Rice Street jail.
Fulton County Jail nightmare
At the April 24 news conference, attorneys called for accountability, transparency, and a full investigation into the conditions and medical care within the jail.
According to Muhammad, he was arrested on Aug. 11, 2025, and held in jail for more than two weeks. During that time, he became seriously ill and repeatedly requested medical attention, but medication was delayed or denied.
His condition progressed to sepsis, resulting in septic shock. Muhammad was ultimately transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he fell into a coma for nearly two weeks.
As a result of complications from the infection, he underwent multiple amputations on both of his legs and fingers on one of his hands. Felony charges against Muhammad were later dismissed.
Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington is also calling for an investigation and urging Chair Robb Pitts and other commissioners to ensure the Sheriff’s Office has the resources it needs.
“I have always been clear in my approach: I will support our constitutional officers —including the sheriff, the district attorney, and others — by ensuring they have the resources they need, while respecting their expertise in running their respective departments,” Arrington said in an April 24 statement. “That is how government is supposed to function, and that is how we best serve the public.”
