TIGER, Ga. – A Rabun County inmate is facing additional charges today after a daring, albeit brief, escape from the local detention center on Monday morning.
Richard Jason Crump, 45, has been charged with escape following an incident that lasted approximately 15 minutes before he returned to the facility on his own accord.
The escape
According to a statement from Sheriff Mark Gerrells, Monday evening, around 5 o’clock, the incident began hours earlier, around 8:09 a.m., when Crump, who was assigned to a work detail at the time, allegedly used a tool shed as concealment to scale the back portion of the facility’s outer perimeter fence.
Once clear of the secured area, investigators say Crump fled on foot through a wooded area situated between the Rabun County Detention Center and the Rabun County Recycling Center.
The encounter
The escape was short-lived. Sheriff’s Office investigators spotted Crump in the woodline along Boen Creek Road, directly across from the Sheriff’s Office.
“Not seeing the work detail truck parked nearby, one of the investigators called out to Crump,” the sheriff’s office reported.
Upon being hailed by authorities, Crump reportedly turned back into the woods and headed toward the detention center. At 8:24 am, he climbed back over the same section of the fence he had used to exit just minutes prior.
Investigations underway
The detention center was placed on immediate lockdown during the event while staff conducted a full headcount to ensure all other inmates were accounted for.
Director of Communications for Rabun County Schools, Dr. Amy Pruitt, told Now Georgia, “We were not on lockdown today,” despite the schools being only a mile and a half walk, or roughly 5 minutes, from the RCDC.
Sheriff Gerrells confirmed that two separate investigations have been launched: A criminal investigation into Crump’s actions and the resulting escape charge, and an administrative investigation into the security breach to identify how the perimeter was compromised and to prevent future occurrences.
“The Rabun County Sheriff’s Office takes the safety of our community, staff, and inmates very seriously,” the office stated, noting that the event was resolved without further incident or injury.
Now Georgia has reached out to RCSO to determine Crump’s original charges.
