Inmate shot, killed after taking guard’s weapon at Washington Co. Regional Medical Center
SANDERVILLE Ga. (WJBF) – Tuesday night, Washington County Deputies and Sandersville Police responded to Washington County Regional Medical Center in reference to a shooting incident just before 9:00 pm.
Following a preliminary investigation, it was discovered that Georgia Department of Corrections Officers were guarding an inmate from a State Prison Facility that was being treated for stabbing injuries sustained from a previous incident earlier that day.
That inmate has been identified as Jacob Henson of Canton, Georgia.
While being treated, the he failed to comply with guards and a struggled ensued.
During the struggle, Henson over took one guard, took their pepper spray, and stunned the guard.
He charged towards a second guard with the pepper spray, in what appears was an escape attempt, which resulted in the use of deadly force being used to stop the inmate.
As a result of this incident, Henson died from his injuries.
Henson was incarcerated on 25 separate charges; he was serving a 20-year-sentence for Aggravated Assault out of Cherokee County, Georgia.
BACKGROUND ON INMATE JACOB COLE HENSON:
In August 2019, Jacob Cole Henson began serving a 20-year-old sentence with 8 years imprisonment in state prison after a guilty plea to 25 counts during a three-week crime spree in 2018, according to the Office of the District Attorney of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit in North Georgia.
According to the Blue Ridge District Attorney’s Office, from July 21st, 2018 until August 13th, 2018, Henson was at large, taking motorcycles, ATVs, trucks, and a car, abandoning one vehicle then taking another. Thefts took place across Georgia in Ball Ground, Canton, Holly Springs, and Waleska, as well as in Bartow and Dawson counties.
The Cherokee Sheriff`s Office apprehended Henson on August 13, 2018, in Waleska, after he stole a child`s dirt
bike, wrecked it, then attempted to elude police on foot. He was eventually captured with the assistance of a resident who held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Henson eventually pled guilty to 11 counts of theft by taking (five trucks, three motorcycles, three ATVs), two counts of theft by receiving (one motorcycle and one car), two counts of fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, two counts of burglary in the first degree, two counts of criminal damage to property, aggravated assault, reckless driving, reckless conduct, entering an automobile, criminal attempt to commit a felony, and failure to wear protective gear on a motorcycle.
Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Ellen McElyea sentenced Henson to 20 years, with the first 8 years to be served in the custody of the Department of Corrections and the remainder of the sentence is to be served on probation.
At the time of Henson’s arrest, the then-D.A. of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit Shannon Wallace wrote in a prepared statement, “”Mr. Henson`s crime spree terrorized Cherokee County residents to the extent that the Cherokee Sheriff`s Office warned people that he was `violent` and `armed and dangerous.` His criminal acts were senseless, violent, and dangerous.”
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