Kendrick Hurst: Manhunt for escaped Newton County inmate ends with his arrest
Kendrick Hurst (Credit: Newton County Sheriff's Office)
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - The manhunt for an inmate who escaped from a Newton County hospital nearly a week ago has ended with the man back in custody.
Kendrick Hurst has been on the run since he allegedly ran away from Piedmont Newton on Saturday afternoon while wearing a lime green jumpsuit. He had been arrested that weekend and charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, among other violations.
On Friday afternoon, the Newton County Sheriff announced that Hurst had been apprehended in Wake County, North Carolina.
Hurst now faces charges of escape, improper backing, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, failure to stop at a yield sign, failure to signal when turning, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, improper lane usage, passing on a solid yellow line, driving on a divided highway crossing on a median, reckless driving, speeding (10-14 over), terroristic threats and acts (2 counts), willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, and disobeying a traffic control device.
Investigators have not released any details about how Hurst was captured, but said it would release further information at a later date.
The sheriff has pledged a full probe of if proper polices were followed during his transport to the Newton County Detention Center from Piedmont Newton Hospital.
Man arrested for aiding in Hurst’s escape
Authorities say they are in the middle of an investigation to determine who may have assisted Hurst with his escape.
On Tuesday, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page reporting the arrest of 49-year-old Gerald Harper, who was charged with aiding or permitting another to escape lawful custody.
The sheriff’s office wrote in part in the post: "Do not be like Harper. Call 911 and report your sighting of Hurst to law enforcement officials."
Previous attempts to apprehend Hurst
Law enforcement officials have been close to capturing Hurst a few times, including Sunday evening between midnight and 1 a.m., when officers tried to track him down at a home along Georgia Highway 142 in Oxford.
Videos posted to social media reportedly show officers holding off sending a K-9 into the woods to subdue Hurst. On Wednesday, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office posted a response to public criticism over not sending the K-9 into the woods to its Facebook page, saying that their deputies "encountered challenging conditions, including being separated from the offender by a fence and facing limited visibility due to dense underbrush and darkness."
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Newton County Sheriff's Office offered a combined reward of up to $3,500 for information that would lead to Hurst's arrest. It is not clear whether anyone will receive that reward.