Athens homeless facility employee critically injured when attacked by homeless man with machete

Christopher Sullens

By Joe Johnson

An employee at an Athens homeless facility was hospitalized in critical condition following an attack by a homeless man armed with a machete.

Christopher Sullens reportedly was leaving work Thursday afternoon when he was assaulted by 33-year-old Cedric Courtes Smith.

According to his sister, Sullens was life-flighted from a local hospital to Grady Memorial in Atlanta, where he was in critical condition as of Friday morning.

Police said the attack happened outside of the Day Service Center, a facility for the homeless on North Avenue that is operated by Advantage Behavioral Health Systems.

Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony.

Cedric Courtes Smith

Sullens had extensive damage to his skull, with several large lacerations on his head and face, as well as skull fractures, according to his sister. She said that part of Sullen’s skull was lodged in his brain, which was “bulging through the openings in the fractures.”

Sullens in the ICU at Grady Memorial Hospital

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Smith is currently on parole for an aggravated assault conviction in Athens-Clarke County.

Court records indicate that Smith had cut a man’s neck with a razor in 2017.

He is being held without bail at the Clarke County Jail.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department asked for anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Lt. Norris at David.norris@accgov.com or (762)-400-7165.