Hero Homeowner Holds Two Escaped Convicts at Gunpoint

Photo credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation/Twitter
Photo credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation/Twitter
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Two escaped Georgia convicts are behind bars once again, thanks to the incredible bravery of one Tennessee homeowner. Inmates Donnie Rowe and Ricky Dubose had been on the run since Tuesday, after the pair allegedly murdered two prison guards as they were being transported to another jail, the Daily Mail reported.

What followed was a days-long manhunt during which Rowe and Dubose reportedly carried out multiple carjackings and break-ins across state lines. But the short-lived crime spree ended Thursday in Christiana, Tennessee, where police apprehended the fugitives after receiving a call from a homeowner.

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Earlier that day, police responded to a call about a home invasion in Shelbyville, Tennessee, where the pair had been holding an elderly couple hostage. According to Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Bill Miller, Rowe and Dubose stole the couple’s car and fired at sheriff’s deputies, who chased them on Interstate 24 about 50 miles southeast of Nashville.

Rowe and Dubose eventually crashed the vehicle and fled by foot into the woods, Miller said. That’s when they came across another home — the wrong home.

Police say the homeowner looked outside to see the two suspects trying to steal his car. Thinking quickly, the man called a neighbor for help and grabbed his gun. The man held the fugitives at gunpoint while his neighbor stood by as reinforcement until police arrived to arrest them.

In a news release issued Thursday evening, Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier confirmed that Rowe and Dubose were captured and are no longer a threat to the public.

Prior to their arrests, authorities had offered a $130,000 reward for information on the fugitive inmates, whom Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills called “dangerous beyond description,” according to Fox News.

Dozier assured that the inmates “will be brought to justice swiftly for their heinous crime” against Sgt. Christopher Monica and Sgt. Curtis Billue.

“True bravery is what’s caused us to stand before you tonight to talk about a successful capture instead of a tragic incident,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn said at a news conference Thursday. “So I’m totally grateful to everyone involved.”

On Thursday evening, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal commended the “tireless efforts” of those involved in the capture of Rowe and Dubose, while also acknowledging the grief that lies ahead for the friends and families of the slain officers.

“We will do everything in our power to support their loved ones, and we will not forget their sacrifice and service,” Deal said.