DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The family of an Army veteran who died from an apparent drug overdose inside the DeKalb County Jail in 2024 is filing a federal lawsuit

The family of 27-year-old Christon Collins is suing Sheriff Melody Maddox of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, multiple detention officers, and an EMT. The Dekalb County DA says the inmate is captured on surveillance video dragging 27-year-old Christon Collins to his jail cell to hide him from getting help.

Renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, along with Eric Hertz and Liza Park, joined the family to make the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

The complaint alleges that on March 13, 2024, Collins collapsed in his housing unit and was left unresponsive for more than

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