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SOUTH SALT LAKE — A Salt Lake County Jail inmate was charged with aggravated murder Thursday after investigators say he threw 22 punches in a one-sided fight, killing a fellow inmate.
The first-degree felony charge was filed in 3rd District Court against Kitiona Kitiona Lolani Jr., 23, of West Valley City.
On Aug. 4, Daniel Davis, 38, of Salt Lake City, was killed after getting into a fight with Lolani in an area of the jail, 3415 S. 900 West, where inmates eat, according to charging documents.
The two exchanged words before Davis walked around a table to the area where Lolani was standing, according to prosecutors who reviewed jail surveillance video.
"Lolani suddenly punches Mr. Davis in the face," the charges state.
After knocking Davis to the ground, Lolani repeatedly punched him in the head, at one point using his right hand to hold Davis and his left to punch him, according to the charges.
"Mr. Davis remains on the ground the entire time of the attack and does not fight back. Lolani struck Mr. Davis approximately 22 times based on a count from the video," the court documents state.
"He messed with the wrong person," Lolani allegedly said, according to the charges. Lolani is listed in jail records as 6 feet 1 inches tall, weighing 250 pounds.
An officer who attempted to break up the fight deployed an "entire bottle" of pepper spray on Lolani, but said it had no effect.
The inmate stopped when "Davis was no longer moving," according to the charges.
Jail staffers acted immediately and administered CPR to Davis, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. Davis died from his injuries at a local hospital.
Lolani, who has a lengthy criminal history, is already scheduled to go to trial in September on a charge of aggravated assault for allegedly attacking a man at South Salt Lake bar in 2017, according to court records.
Davis, who also had a lengthy criminal history, was in jail for domestic violence-related crimes and repeatedly violating the conditions of his jail release, according to court records.
