Alexander Hawkins was found unresponsive in a medical unit cell at the main Fulton County Jail just before 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Medical personnel tried to revive him. He was the sixth person to die this year in Fulton County custody.
Hawkins was initially held in the Atlanta City Detention Center after his arrest on July 31. A municipal court hearing the following day called for his case to be transferred to Fulton County Superior Court. He was then booked into the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 5. He was being held on a shoplifting charge with a $5,000 bond.
Authorities said the county medical examiner’s office will do an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into the conditions of the jail, citing Lashawn Thompson’s September 2022 death as one of dozens in the facility during the past few years. Thompson, 35, died in awith Thompson’s family earlier this month.
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.