A Georgia man stated Wednesday that he suffered severe medical neglect at a troubled Atlanta jail, resulting in the amputation of his fingers and lower legs. Rashaad Muhammad, arrested in August 2025, was taken to the Fulton County Jail, where medical staff allegedly failed to provide antibiotics and other supplies he repeatedly requested, according to his lawyers. Within two weeks, his condition worsened to the point he could not stand, and he was hospitalized, where doctors told him amputations were necessary to save his life.
Trauma and Legal Action
“I'm not OK. Every day is a battle. It's a struggle,” Muhammad, now using a wheelchair, said at a news conference outside the jail after meeting with Sheriff Pat Labat. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Muhammad, described the meeting as “coming back to a nightmare” and called the treatment “the very definition of deliberate indifference,” violating Muhammad's constitutional rights.
Jail's Troubled History
The Fulton County Jail has faced longstanding issues, prompting a U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation in July 2023, which found prisoners held in filthy, unsafe conditions violating constitutional rights. In January 2025, the Justice Department and county officials agreed to a court-enforceable consent decree, with an independent monitor tracking progress. Crump blamed the board of commissioners for failing to act despite known problems, and advocated for a new jail, a push supported by Sheriff Labat. The board recently approved borrowing up to $1.3 billion for jail improvements, including a new facility and renovations.
Medical Provider Under Fire
Crump also criticized the jail's medical provider, NaphCare, alleging employees and guards ignored Muhammad's pleas. He noted that NaphCare should have been removed after the 2022 death of Lashawn Thompson in a bedbug-infested cell. NaphCare did not respond to a request for comment. The sheriff's office cited privacy laws in declining to comment on Muhammad's care but confirmed he was under NaphCare's medical supervision. A county spokesperson also declined comment.
Details of the Case
Muhammad uses a catheter for a chronic bladder condition, making him infection-prone, and always carried antibiotics and supplies, said attorney Liza Park. He was involved in a shooting on August 11, called 911, and was arrested on aggravated assault and gun charges after police arrived. He told officers he needed his medical supplies from his car. After a check at Grady Memorial Hospital, he was cleared for jail. He repeatedly requested antibiotics and supplies, and other inmates pleaded with staff as his condition worsened. On August 22, he was taken back to the hospital in severe distress. After awakening from a coma weeks later, doctors said his infected hands and legs required amputation to save his life. Muhammad spent months in the hospital with multiple surgeries; criminal charges were dropped while he was hospitalized.
Demand for Justice
Muhammad called the meeting with the sheriff “productive but not enough.” Crump requested a criminal investigation and said his team is exploring all legal remedies to hold those responsible accountable.
