Michael Anthony Holland, a 36-year-old man who had been held in Fulton County, Georgia, since May on charges of aggravated assault against a police officer, was found lifeless in his cell on Wednesday. Despite immediate medical attention and transportation to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Holland could not be revived.
Holland’s discovery occurred during the early morning security rounds, according to a statement from the Atlanta Police Department. The exact cause of his death remains unknown, pending an autopsy report. The police are also conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Holland’s arrest in May 2023 stemmed from allegations that he had assaulted a police officer at the East Point Police Department and had willfully obstructed an officer. He faced three counts of willful obstruction, all of which involved the “use of threats or violence,” according to police records. At the time of his death, Holland was being held on a $55,000 bond.
The Fulton County jail, where Holland was detained, has been under scrutiny since last July when the Justice Department launched an investigation into its conditions. Reports of deplorable and inhumane conditions had surfaced, including a case where an inmate with schizophrenia was found dead in his cell, his body covered in insect bites.
The deceased inmate, LaShawn Thompson, was described as being “eaten alive” by his family. An independent medical examiner classified Thompson’s death as a homicide, leading to a settlement between the jail and Thompson’s family in August.
Last year, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office reported that ten individuals died while in custody. Holland’s death adds another layer of concern to the ongoing issues at the Fulton County jail.