One of the men accused of operating a street gang alongside Grammy-winning artist Young Thug was stabbed Sunday in a jailhouse brawl.
Deamonte Kendrick, also known by his stage name Yak Gotti, appeared in court Monday as scheduled despite the fracas, according to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
Kendrick, 32, was stabbed in Fulton County Jail’s south annex in Union City, southwest of downtown Atlanta. He is currently awaiting a verdict as a jury deliberates whether to convict him on murder, drug, gun and RICO charges.
“I spoke to Deamonte last night, and while he sounded tired I expect him to make a full recovery,” Kendrick’s attorney, Doug Weinstein, wrote on social media. “Please keep Deamonte in your prayers, along with all those housed in our Fulton County jails.”
Kendrick and co-defendant Shannon Stillwell are the only two people still awaiting their fates in the longest trial in Georgia history. They were initially charged in a 2022 indictment that named 28 people as members of a street gang named Young Slime Life, with Young Thug as its alleged leader.
Several of the accused gangsters had their cases separated, and many others took plea deals during the lengthy trial and investigation. The biggest stars in the case — Young Thug and Gunna — both pleaded guilty and served no further jail time. Kendrick and Stillwell took their chances with the jury.
Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams, pleaded guilty on Halloween to various charges. The “Lifestyle” artist, 33, received a suspended 20-year sentence, which he will only have to serve if he violates the terms of his 15-year probation.
The trial featured a sprawling jury selection process and several procedural delays, including to replace the initial judge. Jury selection began Jan. 4, 2023, and didn’t conclude until Nov. 1, 2023. The jury finally began deliberating on Nov. 26, 2024.
With News Wire Services
