After months on the run, Derrick Groves, the final of ten inmates who escaped from Orleans Parish in Could, was lastly captured in southwest Atlanta following a tense standoff with legislation enforcement.
Groves, 28, had been convicted of second-degree homicide in reference to a Mardi Gras block occasion capturing that left two folks lifeless. Previous to his escape, he was thought-about essentially the most violent and high-risk inmate amongst those that broke out.
The mass escape started early on Could 16 on the Orleans Parish Justice Heart. Ten inmates pried open a cell door, squeezed via a hid gap behind a rest room, and climbed a barbed-wire fence earlier than vanishing into the streets of New Orleans. The delay in discovery, reportedly a number of hours, intensified scrutiny on the ability’s safety protocols and staffing points.
Inside weeks, 9 of the ten escapees had been recaptured. Groves remained elusive, prompting a $50,000 reward for info resulting in his arrest. His prolonged time on the run raised hypothesis about potential outdoors assist and fueled criticism of the Orleans Sheriff’s Workplace for repeated lapses in oversight.
Authorities lastly tracked him to a residence in southwest Atlanta after receiving a tip through CrimeStoppers. A SWAT group surrounded the house and deployed gasoline earlier than a police canine positioned Groves hiding beneath the construction. He was discovered shackled on the wrists and ankles, shirtless and barefoot, however alive. Witnesses mentioned that as officers led him away, Groves smiled and blew a kiss towards information cameras.
Nobody else was arrested on the residence, and police confirmed he was alone on the time of his seize. Groves now faces not solely his authentic homicide and weapons costs but additionally extra counts associated to his escape.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry praised legislation enforcement for “placing all ten escapees again the place they belong,” whereas native officers in Orleans Parish are nonetheless dealing with questions on how such a large-scale jailbreak may occur within the first place.
The incident has reignited debate over persistent staffing shortages and structural flaws within the New Orleans jail system. Although the seize of Groves marks the tip of a months-long manhunt, the fallout from one of many metropolis’s most embarrassing safety breaches in years is way from over.
