SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — An Washington State Prison inmate is dead after being shot by a prison guard in Sandersville, according to a press release from the GBI.
They say on Tuesday around 8:45 p.m. police got a 911 call about a shooting at Washington County Regional Medical Center in Sandersville.
Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) officers were at Washington County Regional Medical Center with 31-year-old Jacob Henson of Canton, who was an inmate.
Henson was being treated for injuries after being stabbed during a fight at Washington State Prison.
While being treated, a corrections officer and Henson got into a fight. Henson overpowered the officer and grabbed the officer’s OC canister or pepper spray. Henson sprayed the officer who was then incapacitated, the release says.
Now, with the spray in hand, Henson then confronted the second officer. Henson approached the second officer and sprayed them.
The second officer fired their gun and shot Henson. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Georgia Department of Corrections also released this statement:
We can confirm the Officer-involved shooting at Washington County Regional Medical Center that occurred last night involving two of our Officers and one inmate. As the GBI investigation progresses, more details will be made available. We are thankful that there were no further injuries and for the assistance of our local law enforcement partners and GBI.
Henson was serving an eight-year sentence for Aggravated Assault out of Cherokee County, with a maximum release date of August 2026.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at https://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-04-24/gbi-investigates-officer-involved-shooting-washington-county. For questions related to the investigation please contact the GBI.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Eastman at 478-374-6988. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The Georgia Department of Corrections is investigating the earlier incident at Washington State Prison where Henson was stabbed.
The GBI continues to investigate the use of deadly force by the GDC officer. Once the investigation is complete, it will be given to the Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
