Failure to re-shackle Rockdale inmate ‘contributed’ to escape, sheriff says
A Rockdale County detainee who managed to elude custody during a hospital visit in Atlanta last month was left without handcuffs after a procedure, a lapse officials said helped enable his escape.
Timothy Allen Shane, 52, escaped from Grady Memorial Hospital early Dec. 1 and was apprehended about 40 miles away in Newton County two days later. He was taken to the hospital after attempting to hurt himself at the Rockdale jail.
At Grady, Shane underwent evaluation that prevented him from being moved to the hospital’s detention center wing, Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett previously said. The department’s policy calls for detainees to be cuffed and shackled, but metal objects must be removed during certain medical procedures.
“An internal investigation determined that the shackles that was on inmate Shane were removed to allow medical staff to perform an X-ray. Following the completion of the X-ray, the shackles were not reapplied to inmate Shane, which contributed to his escape,” law enforcement said in a news release.
Officials confirmed the deputy who had been assigned to oversee Shane remains on administrative leave with pay pending disciplinary action.
“The results of the internal affairs investigation revealed policy violations. The sheriff’s office has no reason to pursue this as a criminal investigation of the deputy,” authorities said.
Shane had been at the jail since Nov. 24 on charges of felony fleeing a police officer, reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine and multiple illegal weapons offenses. He remained there as of Saturday.
He had arrived at Grady late Nov. 30 with two deputies, but one of them left at some point.
Around 1:20 a.m. Dec. 1, Shane escaped wearing only a medical gown and no shoes in 43-degree, breezy weather.
From there, he stole an SUV parked nearby and soon crashed it. Officials said a handgun was later reported stolen from that vehicle.
Another car was stolen near Mercedes-Benz Stadium and spotted around 8:10 a.m. in Rockdale. Investigators found it in McDonough some time later.
The sheriff’s office said Shane then took an Uber to southern Rockdale, was spotted the following afternoon in Covington, took another Uber and was finally found Dec. 3 in an abandoned house in Covington.
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