A fight between two Fulton County inmates housed at the Cobb County Jail left one dead.
Ernest Johnson, 52, has been charged with murder after allegedly killing 63-year-old Horace Gibbs during a fight in their cell at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Johnson’s arrest warrant.
Between 12:30 a.m. and 3:40 a.m. Friday, Johnson is accused of placing Gibbs in a headlock using his forearm and elbow, compressing his neck and depriving him of sufficient blood flow and oxygen, according to the warrant.
During a recorded interview by Cobb County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Johnson admitted to “tussling” with Gibbs, which included placing him in a headlock and striking him numerous times, according to the warrant.
The fight occurred after a lockdown in their two-person cell, said officials.
According to a preliminary report from the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Officer, Johnson’s actions resulted in petechial hemorrhages of Gibbs’ eyes, the proximate cause of death.