ATLANTA — An attorney representing one of the YSL defendants alleges her client was injured during a scuffle involving a Fulton County deputy before he was taken to the courthouse for Monday’s court proceedings.
Angela D’Williams, who represents Rodalius Ryan, said her client suffered injuries to his legs, hands and head.
“I will be filing a formal complaint against the (sheriff’s office) because they are agitating my client on purpose and when he gets to court agitated, they act like they don’t know what’s going on,” D’Williams said.
All the defendants except for Ryan were brought out about 9:30 a.m. Monday. Proceedings didn’t get underway until after 11 a.m., but the judge didn’t mention the reason for the delay.
D’Williams said her client was not brought out with the other co-defendants because he was being checked on by medical staff.
“He had to go get checked out by medical,” D’Williams said. “He was punched in the head and he did fall on the sidewalk. I wanted him to be checked for a concussion.”
According to an incident report obtained by WBS-TV, while awaiting transport, Ryan allegedly began spitting in the back of the patrol car.
Deputy Kandakai Morris told Ryan to stop spitting and told him he would have to clean it up, according to the report.
Ryan allegedly replied, “I’m not cleaning up s---,” and spit through the rear partition at the deputy, according to the incident report.
According to the report, Morris was hit in the face with the spit. Morris told another deputy that Ryan was spitting inside the vehicle and that he was going to be removed to get a spit mask.
“I walked to the rear passenger side door, opened the door and advised inmate Ryan to exit the vehicle where he ignored my order,” the report reads.
According to the report, the deputy reached inside the vehicle to remove Ryan, when he allegedly stiffened his body and laid flat in the back of the patrol car.
Morris said Ryan began moving his legs in a kicking motion to prevent the deputy from grabbing him, according to the report. Ryan eventually grabbed the man’s ankle, pulled him from the car and placed him on the ground.
D’Williams said her client was dragged out of the vehicle before he had a chance to get out voluntarily, causing him to hit his head on the sidewalk. She said she hopes a thorough investigation is conducted by an outside agency.
“All deputies are supposed to wear body cameras. When the discovery comes out, we’ll see the body cameras and we’ll see what happened,” she said.
Ryan, who is currently serving life in prison for a 2019 murder, was charged with one count of violation of the state’s RICO act in the indictment. He now faces additional charges of misdemeanor simple assault and obstruction of police following the incident on Monday morning.
Ryan was charged last week with unauthorized possession of a prohibited item by an inmate following an alleged contraband exchange involving co-defendants Khalieff Adams and Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams.
Monday’s incident comes days after Fulton County deputies allegedly used a Taser on Adams following the alleged contraband exchange. Adams was later transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, with defense attorneys arguing it was because deputies used a Taser on him multiple times, while prosecutors alleged it was because he ingested some of the contraband.
“(I’m) extremely concerned,” D’Williams said. “I’m hoping everybody makes it out by the end of this trial. It seems like the (sheriff’s office) has discretion to do whatever they want, behind closed doors. We are not allowed to see what’s happening and then they just bring them out saying they are fine.”
The incident is just the latest in a series of delays jury selection for the Young Slime Life trial has faced since the start of the year. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are still working through hardships and haven’t seated a single juror.
Most of those who have asked to be excused say they can’t afford to miss work to serve on a jury for six to nine months, which is how long the trial is expected to last.
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