Ga. Dept. of Corrections inmate assaults corrections officer, escapes from custody in Cordele

CORDELE, Ga. – Shortly after 10:00 p.m., an inmate with Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)—who is currently serving a sentence for murder—assaulted a corrections officer by deploying their pepper spray and fled from a transport van near 8th Avenue and 3rd Street in Cordele.

Cordele Police Officers, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Georgia State Troopers immediately responded to the area. A critical 911 call from an alert citizen provided key information that the escapee was last seen near 3rd Street Baptist Church. Officers quickly established a perimeter and located the inmate hiding behind bushes at the church.

The escaped inmate was taken into custody without further incident and turned back over to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

We are extremely proud of the coordinated efforts between all agencies involved and that this dangerous individual was apprehended quickly. We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the citizen who took the time to call 911 and provide valuable information. Community partnerships like this make all the difference.

The Cordele Police Department remains committed to protecting the safety of our citizens and working closely with partner agencies to respond to incidents of this nature swiftly and effectively.

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