MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The family of the inmate who was stabbed to death by another inmate in a holding cell at 201 Poplar has retained attorney Ben Crump, and spoke out about the killing Friday.
25-year-old Deion Byrd was stabbed about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023, while in a holding cell behind a courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar. He was taken in critical condition to Regional One Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Donnie Clay, 21, has been charged with first degree murder and possessing contraband in a penal institution in Byrd's death.
During the news conference Nov. 3, Crump blamed "gross negligence" at 201 Poplar.
“I don’t know how the sheriff’s department tries to justify this. How an inmate got a sharp metal object through their security screenings and checks. I mean my God," said Crump.
“He was stabbed in court in the place he was supposed to be kept safe. And then nobody called to tell us. His attorney called,” said mother Laquita Byrd.
The couple said their son made plenty of mistakes, but didn't deserve to be killed.
“25-years-old. Made a lot of mistakes. I’m not gonna say he was a saint, I’m not gonna say he was perfect. But tell me something, who’s perfect when they’re 25,” said father Marcus Byrd.
The couple said this is the second son they have lost to violence.
“We have to make sure this doesn’t happen to any other citizen," said Crump.
"Based on the laws of the state of Tennessee, the failure to keep this jail safe is itself a violation of the law," said attorney Brice Timmons. "It is a crime. It is a crime how violent and dangerous this jail is. And the crime is committed by Floyd Bonner, the sheriff of Shelby County who is charged by the laws of the state of Tennessee to maintain a safe jail. He is out of excuses. And he has managed to create a jail so dangerous that it now spills over into the courtroom.”
ABC24 reached out to the sheriff's office, who responded with the following statement:
"Once again, Mr. Timmons needs to check his facts. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has openly acknowledged the staffing shortages and has been diligently and aggressively addressing them in a very public way. There are hiring and referral incentives, bonuses, and pay increases, as well as the legislation pushed by Sheriff Bonner to eliminate the residency requirements. If Mr. Timmons knows where 200 qualified individuals can be found, we look forward to receiving their applications. The Sheriff’s Office has a rigorous hiring process and will not lower our standards to fill positions. Currently, there are 25 Corrections Deputy Recruits at the Sheriff’s Training Academy, due to graduate in February 2024. The Sheriff’s Office is always taking applications for the position of Corrections Deputy, and we are set to begin another Corrections Deputy hiring process this month."
According to the affidavit, Byrd was in handcuffs and had been waiting to be taken back to the jail when witnesses said he approached Clay, accusing the man of breaking into his home. Clay denied the wrongdoing, and Byrd spat in his face, according to the affidavit.
Clay then said, "I'm gonna kill you now," and took a sharp metal from his waistband, witnesses stated according to records. Investigators said Clay chased Byrd into a nearby room and stabbed him at least once in the neck. Byrd ran from the room as a deputy entered the inmate area. He was then taken to the hospital, where he died.
Attorney Crump said in a statement released Nov. 2:
“Deion Byrd’s family and countless others have come to learn that their loved ones are anything but safe at 201 Poplar. Being in jail is not a death sentence, but at 201 Poplar, nobody’s life is guaranteed. Drastic and immediate changes must be made so that nobody else’s son has to die unjustly, like so many there have.”
In a statement following the stabbing, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said:
"The Sheriff’s Office is reviewing this tragic event and would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the family of Mr. Byrd. The Bureau of Professional Standards and Integrity is focusing on internal failures that led to this unfortunate incident, while the command staff is reviewing changes, improvements, and training that we hope will prevent such an occurrence in the future."
According to court records, Byrd had faced several charges in various incidents, including first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, and aggravated assault, and several other charges from the Memphis Police Department's Operation Broken Bottles.
Records showed that Clay had been set to appear in court the day of the stabbing for a rape of a child charge.
This marks the 47th death inside the Shelby County Jail since 2019. This statistic is not sitting well with people from Memphis criminal justice reform groups like Decarcerate Memphis and the Justice & Safety Alliance.
"I think that with the amount of people who have died in 201, I think there needs to be some policies put into place to make sure these deaths are being prevented,” said Joshua Adams with the Justice & Safety Alliance, after the stabbing.
“I think it's a reflection of the lack of care being offered to them by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department of Corrections and or the criminal justice system in general. I think we're seeing an overflow, an overspill of trauma ... just you know coming to a head,'" said Chase Madkins, a member of Decarcerate Memphis.