Five-month Manhunt of Louisiana Inmate Derrick Groves Ends at Atlanta.
ATLANTA / NEW ORLEANS — the five-month long hunt of runaway Louisiana convict Derrick Groves had a wretched conclusion on Wednesday, October 8, when the law enforcement officials eventually hunted him down to a crawl space beneath a residence in southwest Atlanta.
The 28 year old had become the final fugitive in a massive jailbreak at the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May and was on the run throughout several states, not being caught despite a manhunt spanning a wide area by both federal and state authorities.
The Takeover: A Cross-Agency Operation is over.
As per the Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair, the officers had been trailing Derrick Groves to a home in the Honeysuckle Lane in southwest Atlanta. Several hours of surveillance and tactical planning followed after which a SWAT team surrounded the property.
Police are reported to have thrown several gas canisters inside the house and basement when Groves refused to give up. After numerous efforts to make him come out, the police found him hiding in a crawl space under the house.
They could not locate him at first and, hence, gas was used several times, fair said. It has taken a well-trained SWAT team a number of hours to extract him, an indication that he had planned to remain hidden.
Derrick Groves was arrested and was taken to the Fulton County jail in Atlanta as a fugitive. He is now awaiting extradition to Louisiana where further accusations against his escape are likely to be charged.
Background: Louisiana has one of the largest jail breaks.
Manhunt on May 2024, the Orleans Parish Justice Center lost 10 inmates who authorities labeled as one of the largest jailbreaks in the history of Louisiana, starting the manhunt.
Later, authorities discovered that the inmates had managed to tear a cell wall toilet, break through metal bars and crawl through a hole into a maintenance section. They broke into one of the facility exits there, and they finally ran through a nearby highway to escape.
In the case, eight out of the nine prisoners were apprehended in the course of weeks, but one of the prisoners (Derrick Groves) was able to evade the process and became the most desired escapee in the group.
The Hunt of Derrick Groves: Going across the State Lines.
During several months after the escape, a creative multi-state man-hunt was initiated by U.S. Marshals, Louisiana State Police, and local law enforcement in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
The combination of:
- The public tips made anonymously.
- CCTV shots in service stations and motels.
Phone and vehicle tracking information.
- Teamwork with federal fugitive task forces.
Going on to evade capture, Derrick Groves escaped until this week even though he was occasionally caught sight of. Reports show that he was going back and forth between safe houses and hiding out in a network of people he knew.
According to the law enforcement officials, his subsequent capture was due to the sharing of intelligence among agencies and due to consistent investigative efforts which led them to Atlanta.
Indoor: The Story of the Authorities Slipping In.
Officials who reported indicated that the breakthrough was made last weekend when agents were informed about a man who fitted the description of Groves in the southwest Atlanta region.
The Honeysuckle Lane house was put under surveillance and a tactical operation had been planned. SWAT teams used chemical agents to get Groves to leave the building when he did not leave on his own and located him hiding in a narrow crawl space with seemingly multiple days of supply.
One police spokesperson termed the arrest as peaceful but very organized.
The spokesperson said the operation was very delicate considering his background and the narrow room he was inside but he did not resist when he was found.
Who Is Derrick Groves?
Law enforcement agents refer to Derrick Groves as a 28-year-old resident of Louisiana who had a long history of crimes, including theft and assault. Groves had a seven-year sentence that was underway in Orleans Parish Justice Center before he escaped.
According to the investigators, Groves was shown to be very resourceful and planned his escape and time on the run. The law enforcement officers feel he had local contacts in various states, who assisted him in transportation, accommodation and provisions.
The Justice Center at Orleans Parish under Review.
The jailbreak which enabled Derrick Groves and nine others to escape has been subject to serious criticism to the Orleans Parish Sheriff and the jail administration.
A number of internal investigations were initiated in the wake of the incident to find out:
How the inmates were able to get tools or cut an opening on the cell.
And whether lapses in security or negligence of staff gave way.
- Maintenance and surveillance systems within the facility.
An initial inspection established that some of the structural flaws and aged facilities were the cause. Sheriff Susan Hutson said that since then security upgrades and new surveillance systems have been made to ensure that future escapes are prevented.
I have much to tell you, about what we have learned of this occurrence, Hutson said. What comes first is that nothing of this kind is going to happen again.
Praise in Community Reactions and Law Enforcement.
The arrest of Derrick Groves has been welcomed with relief in entire Louisianas particularly among the people who were worried after months of not knowing what to expect.
According to local authorities and the local people, law enforcement was commended to be persistent and coordinated, saying that the case was the depiction of the relevance of inter-agency cooperation.
It was not an Louisiana thing, said Fair. It was a national manhunt of the U.S. Marshals, the state police and local departments acting in unison.
The citizens living in the areas impacted by the presence of Groves also thanked the officers who acted fast and professionally when conducting arrest operations in Atlanta.
What Does the Future Hold of Derrick Groves?
Derrick Groves is expected to undergo further charges on escape and fugitive upon his extradition into Louisiana, after his arrest. Law experts are of the opinion that prosecutors may want to put him to a long term sentence.
In the meantime, the police are still looking into how he was able to remain unnoticed this long and whether he had help as a fugitive. The ones discovered to have assisted might be charged with harboring or aiding a fugitive.
Groves is being detained without bond at the Fulton County Jail awaiting his return to New Orleans.
A Recollection of the Prison Security issues.
The Derrick Groves case has brought back the debate on the prison facilities, employee training, and responsibility in the Louisiana prisons.
Scholars point out that it is hard to make big escapes but they demonstrate that the system has many flaws which need urgent reform. This high profile incident is now resulting in enhanced security technology, improved checks of the staff and modernization of buildings.
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