New Orleans jailbreak saga ends as final escapee captured in Atlanta
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office
Derrick Groves, the last of 10 inmates who escaped from the New Orleans jail in May, was recaptured in Atlanta, according to District Attorney Jason Williams.
Why it matters: Groves' recapture ends an embarrassing saga for the city.
The latest: Groves' escape ended in a southwest Atlanta standoff with Atlanta police and U.S. Marshals, Atlanta police said, after a Crimestoppers tip helped lead to his arrest, according to The Times-Picayune.
- It's not clear how long he'd been staying in the Honeysuckle Lane SW residence, Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Kelley Collier said in a press conference, and the department's SWAT team used gas canisters and a police dog to drive him out of the home.
- As he was arrested, Groves blew a kiss to a police camera. Watch the arrest.
- Like his fellow escapees, Groves faces new charges in connection to the jailbreak, officials said Wednesday.
The big picture: The news arrives just as voters decide whether to re-elect New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson, who manages the Orleans Justice Center, the jail from which the inmates escaped.
- Hutson called the escape an "inside job" and blamed it on the jail's conditions and underfunding that she says has led to low staffing levels.
- The political fallout has also included a renewed focus on the city's use of facial recognition technology, which was used in at least one of the earliest recaptures.
Catch up quick: Officials first noticed 10 inmates were missing from the Orleans Justice Center during a routine headcount early May 16, though it was hours before the public was notified.
Between the lines: The jailbreak brought with it viral video, which showed the inmates leaping out of the jail and making a run for it across a busy I-10. Watch video.
- A photo of their escape route — a hole carved out of the wall behind a cell toilet — showed the words "To easy lol" written above. It became a meme all on its own, even appearing as a "Jeopardy" question.