A Fulton County detention officer was fired and arrested Thursday on more than a dozen counts related to the assault of an inmate, officials said.
Reynard Trotman is accused of aiding and abetting a crime and failing to render aid or protect an inmate from physical harm, Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat said in a news release. Trotman had worked at the jail since July.
An arrest warrant obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution states that Trotman failed to help the inmate while he was being stabbed multiple times by other inmates Feb. 1.
The incident began after several inmates approached the victim and he began running away, but was soon tripped by another inmate, according to the warrant. One inmate then proceeded to hit the victim with a broom while he continued to run, officials said. While a struggle ensued, the warrant states that camera footage caught Trotman walking away.
According to the warrant, multiple inmates then cornered the victim in an upstairs area and began to stab him. That’s when the victim fell “headfirst over the railing, striking the floor” below, the warrant details.
Authorities said the injured inmate attempted to tell Trotman multiple times the night before the attack that he feared for his safety.
The former officer faces seven counts of violation of oath, two counts of aggravated assault, cruelty to an inmate and conspiracy to commit a felony, all felonies. Trotman was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery and one of reckless conduct, Labat said.
“Any officer who violates their sworn oath not only brings discredit upon themselves but also exacerbates the critical staffing challenges that law enforcement agencies around the country are working to overcome,” Labat said in a statement. “As sheriff of Fulton County, I am committed to transparency and to holding each and every employee accountable to protect and serve every member of our community, including those in our custody. Being a detention officer is an incredibly difficult job, but there is no excuse for the behavior that led to this arrest.”
Trotman began his law enforcement career as a detention officer at the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in 2016. He quickly climbed the ranks before voluntarily resigning in 2022 as a lieutenant. He has no sanctions in his Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) records and is listed as an officer in good standing by the state police certifying agency.
