RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — An inmate inside the Richmond City Justice Center was stabbed in his head “several times,” according to jail documents obtained by 8News.
Those documents stated the stabbing happened around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Sep, 17.
The inmate, 20-year-old Jehmel Williams, was waiting in line for breakfast when another inmate came up behind him with a shank. The report stated that the inmate responsible had a “visible shank in his hand covered in blood.”
Williams was then removed from his ‘pod,’ or housing unit, and was taken to VCU Medical Center for treatment.
8News spoke to Williams’ mother, Raquel, who said her son called her, sharing details.
“He told me it was a big knife that the guy used and stabbed him,” she said. “He’s very scared for his life and scared for his safety.”
Raquel said her son has since been released back into the prison, which has left her on edge and concerned about his safety.
She said when she called the jail for answers, she was unable to get through to speak to anyone.
“They left me on hold for an hour and a half and then, finally, someone came on the phone and said, because it’s a stabbing, I had to contact Internal Affairs, then it keeps ringing until it cuts off,” Raquel said. “His attorney went down there yesterday around 5 or 6 o’clock… his attorney waited an hour and they did not let him see him.”
Raquel shared that her son is in custody for drug charges.
“I know when you break a law, you have to pay for your actions, but when you go in jail, you’re supposed to be safe, but they don’t deserve to be stabbed or killed,” she said. “The judge told me he was safer in jail. He is not safer in jail… he almost lost his life.”
“They’re still people,” Raquel continued.
8News reached out to Sheriff Antionette Irving, the Sheriff of the City of Richmond, for a response to the situation, but are still awaiting a response.
In the meantime, Williams is leaving this message with the Sheriff: “She needs to get to the bottom of it before another mother loses another child.”
