Two US prisoners said to be “dangerous beyond description” after shooting dead two prison guards have been captured in Tennessee following a major manhunt.
Donnie Rowe, 43, and Ricky Dubose, 24, were arrested after they were held at gunpoint by a rural homeowner in Christiana whose vehicle they were trying to steal.
It ended a multiple state manhunt that began early on Tuesday in Georgia after the inmates killed Sergeant Christopher Monica and Sergeant Curtis Billue, jumped out of prison bus, carjacked a passing vehicle and made their getaway.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director Mark Gwyn said: “True bravery is what’s caused us to stand before you tonight to talk about a successful capture instead of a tragic incident.”
Earlier in the day, police in nearby Shelbyville had responded to a call about a home invasion, where a couple had been held captive.
The suspects fled in the couple’s vehicle and fired on sheriff’s deputies chasing them on Interstate 24 about 50 miles southeast of Nashville.
Rowe and Dubose crashed the car and ran into the woods. They came across a home where they tried to steal a car, but the homeowner held the pair at gunpoint while a neighbour called police.
Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier said: “They will be brought to justice swiftly for their heinous crime against our officers.”
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal applauded the “tireless efforts” of law enforcement but also turned his thoughts to the families of the two officers, saying their pain remains.
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“We will do everything in our power to support their loved ones, and we will not forget their sacrifice and service,” Mr Deal said.
The two inmates overpowered and disarmed the guards as 33 inmates were being driven between prisons, authorities have said.
Both escapees were serving sentences for armed robbery and other crimes.
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