Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man wounds himself after Georgia officers seek to question him about 4 jail escapees, sheriff says

Authorities say a man shot and wounded himself Monday when officers sought to question him about four escapees from a Georgia jail

Via AP news wire
Monday 23 October 2023 15:46 EDT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man shot and wounded himself Monday when officers sought to question him about four escapees from a Georgia jail, authorities said.

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis told reporters deputies got a tip about a man who might have information about the escapes.

“Let me make that clear-- he is not one of our escapees," Davis told reporters. "But he is a person that we feel has knowledge of where they might be, that has knowledge of the escape, and who has some connection to at least one or two of the people we’re looking for.”

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force went to a Macon apartment, but when officers knocked on the door, someone shot through the door from inside, Davis said. When a SWAT team arrived, they found the man wounded, apparently having shot himself, the sheriff said.

Davis said no officers fired their guns. He did not say anything about how seriously wounded the man was.

Officers took a second person at the apartment into custody for questioning. Davis said that person might have information on the escapees, who broke out of the Bibb County jail Oct. 16.

The four escapees have been identified as Joey Fournier, Marc Kerry Anderson, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell and Chavis Demaryo Stokes.

On Friday, deputies found a blue Dodge Challenger abandoned in the parking lot of a Macon supermarket that they believe was involved in the escape.

Video showed the Challenger had been just outside the jail earlier in the night and appeared to show someone tampering with the fence. That person then brought some items into the enclosed area, and the sheriff said investigators believe the items were used to help the men escape. The men escaped out a jail window and through the fence.

A combined $73,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the inmates.

Fournier, 52, is a white male with gray hair and blue eyes who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. He was being held on a murder charge after he was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in February 2022.

Anderson, 24, is a Black male with dreadlocks and is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. He is charged with aggravated assault.

Barnwell, 37, is a Black male with braids and is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He was being held on federal drug charges.

Stokes, 29, is a Black male with short black hair and is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was being held on charges of possession of a firearm and drug trafficking.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in