Inmate attacked at 201 Poplar, family says
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Another inmate has been stabbed and jumped at 201 Poplar, according to his family members.
Kelvin Young, 37, was being held at 201 Poplar for his next court date. His mom received a call from her son saying he had been attacked inside the jail.
Mothers express concerns about conditions at Shelby County Jail
“He told me, ‘Mom I’ve been stabbed six times.’ He said, ‘I was jumped by three inmates,'” said Bobbi Robinson, Young’s mother. “He almost died. He got stabbed in the head, neck, hands and forearms.”
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office denied Tuesday that Young had been stabbed, but said he was assaulted. They say he was never transferred out of the jail for treatment.
Young’s wife says more should have been done.
“I’ve been a nurse for 12 years and I feel like he should have at least been transferred to the infirmary to be seen by a physician or nurse practitioner. A nurse bandaged him up and that’s it. No other medical attention has been given to him, and like I said, we have not received a phone call even letting us know that our loved one has been injured in their care,” his wife said.
Young is being held on a $200,000 bond for allegedly being involved in a shooting at the intersection of South 4th Street and Beale Street at Ida B. Wells Park on April 5.
“He’s a good man, working man, family man. He was only trying to protect his family and he probably didn’t go about it the right way, but at the time, he was thinking he was,” said Robinson. “I pay taxes too, and my son is doing his time. He should be protected.”
Shelby County Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner could not speak about the incident but says they are working with a new vendor to fix the locks on the cell doors.
Proposed county budget has money for jail improvements
“We are grateful for the emergency funding to get these cell doors back online. So, we are going to continue to work with these vendors. I do truly believe in the next day or two we are going to make some significant progress,” said Buckner.
He says they are stationing detention response team officers at particular doors to make sure there is a double dose of security for the areas that house the more violent inmates.
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