'Major problem' | Internal affairs report shows what happened the night 4 inmates escaped
The long-awaited internal affairs report offers a minute-by-minute account of what happened the night of the Bibb jailbreak on Oct. 16.
Bibb County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Hubbard was walking around the Bibb County jail's outer fence on Oct. 16 when at 6:20 a.m. he found something he called a "major problem."
He told his supervisor there was "a man size hole cut out in the fence" leading into the West Control yard.
"We have a major problem," Hubbard told his supervisors. "A hole was cut into the gate."
Early that morning, four inmates – Joey Founier, Marc Anderson, Chavis Stokes and Johnifer Barnwell – escaped the jail, prompting a month-long manhunt that raised new concerns about the safety and security of the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.
The internal affairs investigation, obtained by 13WMAZ through an open records request, highlighted shortcomings in staffing and policy enforcement on the night of the jailbreak.
The quotations used in this story were not altered or changed to fix any grammar, spelling or other issues from the documents provided by the sheriff's office.
The report also shows former deputy Travaris Freeman took at least seven hours to notify a supervisor of loud banging noises. He also only conducted one block check the night of the escape which he did in the A wing.
It's unclear whether Freeman did a second block check in the B wing, where the escape happened. The report notes these are blatant policy violations that "resulted in the escape of four inmates."
The Escape 'It was banging on the metal'
At around 3:30 a.m. in the early hours of Oct. 16, four inmates jumped out of a damaged dayroom window in the B300 cell block and squeezed through two holes made in the jail's fences.
Earlier that night, the report shows, a hole was cut into the fence by a man later identified as Jakaylen Williams at around 10:20 p.m. Only one minute later, he sent a bag full of supplies up to the inmates in the B300 day room.
The report says the inmates tied sheets together, dropped them down from the window and then pulled the bag up with the sheets.
The inmates would use a chisel to "chip away at the narrow, reinforced concrete opening until it was of suitable size for human passage" and they could jump down from the window.
It was something that Capt. Shermaine Jones had already thought was an issue.
"I asked him [maintenance man Justin Stone] then said 'well this gone be sufficient enough to give me concrete in the windows?' Cause I been asking for concrete to be poured in the windows," Jones said. "Because that will prevent Inmates from being to get to the outside of the plates that are on there."
Freeman – the only guard overseeing the entire A and B blocks – first heard the chiseling noise, and he did nothing to check on it for at least seven hours, the report says.
"It was banging on the metal," Freeman told investigators. "It was banging on the metal. Uh, really loudly. Uh, for obvious reasons at the time."
He says he first heard the repeated and loud sound of "metal hitting metal" at around 7 p.m. and he heard the noise stop at around 2 a.m. He said he would check on the noise during chow call, which was at 5 a.m.
When pressed by internal affairs investigators, he said he didn't check on the noise or notify his supervisor because loud banging noises were common, even in the evening.
"So the only reason I reported it to Supervisor was it was a normally on the Block they rap on B. But this was just constant irritating banging hours on end," Freeman said. "It's more of a when they banging it's a rhythm and they sang a little bit. But this one was just a constant banging from uh, any regular."
However, Freeman was chastised for this and other policy failures, which would ultimately lead to his firing.
"In any event, immediate action should have been taken to investigate the disturbance," his termination letter said. "It is the responsibility of the officer in charge of his area to maintain the safety and security of the jail."
Freeman's account of the night was also thrown into question in the letter. It said that "there are also some discrepancies in statements that dispute your actions supported by video."
The letter, however, does not note what in particular was inconsistent with his account.
'Less than 10' How staffing impacted the escape
In explaining why he only conducted one block check and why he didn't check on the noise, he pointed to one factor that night: staffing.
Investigators asked whether he was "able to move around the Jail if you hear something to go look yourself or?"
And Freeman responded: "Unfortunately, we're short-staffed."
The night in question, the jail was severely understaffed. Lt. Reginald Washington was on vacation so Cpl. LaTasha Culver was in charge.
In the initial press conference, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said there were fewer than 10 deputies on duty the night of the jailbreak.
Culver said there were only four full-time deputies that night and three part-time deputies. They also had two deputies not show up because, unbeknownst to Culver, they were in jailer school that day, the report says.
Culver asked Capt. Shermaine Jones about what she could do to address the staffing issues. He recommended trying to get a deputy from booking. That night they only had two deputies there, so they couldn't get reassigned.
The report says Jones never checked back with her.
Freeman also painted a concerning picture of the jail that night. He said cameras were not working, inmates were "out on all blocks," and a "pipe [was] hanging in B300 sallyport."
Freeman's logbook for that evening, however, showed signs of manipulation after the fact, the internal affairs report says.
"This entry appears to have been pieced in," the report reads. "The handwriting noticeably changes mid-entry."
Discovery 'He has nothing to lose'
From Hubbard's discovery of the hole in the fence at 6:20 a.m., almost an hour later, Jones ordered a lockdown of the jail at 7:14 a.m. via email with the subject "Emergency Lockdown."
"Put Jail on Lock Down and Do Full Head Count," the email read.
It was two hours later that dispatch was notified of the escape, the records show.
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office issued this statement: "Due to the sequence of events that takes time . A search started within the jail, to positively verify that an escape had happened and who had escape. Once it was confirmed after all the pertinent information was obtained. Dispatch was notified with all the detailed information to dispatch to all agencies, that aided in their capture."
Sheriff Davis told reporters Oct. 16 that, as soon as they realized the inmates had escaped, they had been on the streets looking for the men.
The second Jones heard of the escape, his mind went to one particular inmate: Johnifer Barnwell.
"I immediately contacted Lt. Bryant told her to go try put eyes on Jonathan Barnwell," he said in an interview with investigators.
Barnwell was convicted within two weeks of the escape on a slew of drug crimes that could carry a life sentence. He was also a federal inmate.
"So he has nothing to lose," Jones said. "They went on the Block and she they contacted me back saying 'yes, he was one of em.' Uh, again at that point went into try to make sure we have count of all the rest of the inmates."
The four escapees were all ultimately recaptured, with the last one, Joey Fournier, brought back to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center on Nov. 18.
The report did not appear to offer any recommendations for what could've been done differently, but Davis said that they have since implemented new policies to hopefully prevent any future escape.
CONTINUING COVERAGE
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