The manhunt for two inmates accused of assaulting a detention officer and escaping from the Rutherford County Jail early Wednesday morning came to an end 35 hours later. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office made the announcement via Twitter around 11:30 a.m. Thursday that Dewayne Halfacre, 43, and Jonathan Baxter, 28, were in custody. The two men — cellmates at the time of the escape — were captured in Smyrna by a multi-agency law enforcement team around 11:20 a.m. Thursday. They were found near U.S. Highway 41/70 South near Overhead Bridge Road close to the Smyrna/Murfreesboro city limits, according to RCSO spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni. They will be facing a charge of aggravated assault of a first responder and felony escape, Marchesoni said in a news release. “We are grateful for the law enforcement partners who joined us in searching tirelessly for the fugitives,” Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. “We sincerely thank our citizens who called with information. Our citizens and their tips made our job easier. We appreciate the cooperation with the Rutherford County Schools in keeping the students safe with the code yellow.” Both Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City schools operated under modified lockdowns while the search took place. Halfacre, 43, of Lynchburg, was being held on a number of charges, including aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon in a commission of a felony and possession of a prohibited weapon. He had been arrested in connection with the robbery of Almaville Market in late January. At that time, Halfacre eluded investigators for five days before being caught in the Marion County community of Whitwell, located outside of Chattanooga. Baxter, 28, of Smyrna, was incarcerated for failing to appear in court on felony burglary and theft charges. The unnamed female detention officer was treated at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital and released, Marchesoni said. Where the tips took investigators During the search, law enforcement agencies had a good idea of where the fugitives were hiding, Fitzhugh said. They concentrated their efforts between Florence Road and Old Nashville Highway so they could respond instantly, he said. After their escape from the jail around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, authorities searched the area close to the jail and nearby schools for the men. Following "a really good tip" Wednesday afternoon, officers searched a wooded area of Old Nashville Highway near Baker Road between Murfreesboro and Smyrna, but had no luck in locating the inmates, Marchesoni said. Early Thursday morning, La Vergne police got a tip that the Baxter and Halfacre could have been in the city. City spokeswoman Anne Smith said there was a delay in the time the potential sighting and the time it was called in to police, which led to a wider search area. Wednesday's escape was the first one to take place at the jail since 2001. In that case, the escapee was returned to the jail by his father within 12 hours, according to reports at the time. Other agencies involved in the search included police departments from Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and its Aviation Unit, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Baxter and Halfacre are each being held on $500,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30. Mealand Ragland-Hudgins and Nancy DeGennaro contributed to this report. Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@gannett.com or 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @brinleyhineman.<doc-sep>Update: 11:36 a.m. The Rutherford County Sheriff's office has confirmed that inmates Dewayne Halfacre and Jonathan Baxter have been caught. "The case still remains very active," Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. Reported earlier A massive team of law enforcement agents in Rutherford County are still searching for Dewayne Halfacre and Jonathan Baxter, the two men are accused of assaulting a detention officer and escaping the jail in Murfreesboro early Wednesday morning. Teams searched the immediate area of the Rutherford County Jail on New Salem Highway and area schools using K-9 units early in the day Wednesday. By midday, the search had expanded to the area of Old Nashville Highway and Baker Road near Smyrna. "We thought we had a really good tip in that area," sheriff's office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni said. More:Rutherford County jail escape: Manhunt for inmates underway in Smyrna Investigators followed up on numerous tips throughout the day and into the evening, with deputies expected to make the search for the two men part of their regular patrols, Marchesoni said. Here's what we know about the men and the search: Halfacre and Baxter were cellmates at the county jail The two overpowered a female detention officer and escaped at about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, taking the deputy's radio with them. Baxter, 28, was being held for failing to appear in court on a previous theft charge, while Halfacre, 43, was incarcerated on an aggravated assault charge. They were last seen wearing white T-shirts and orange pants. How they escaped a Rutherford County detention center The preliminary investigation into the escape showed another detention officer "failed to follow proper procedures after the deputy was assaulted, resulting in the inmates escaping through an outside door," Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. That investigation is still ongoing. The injured deputy was treated and released from Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, Marchesoni said. Baxter and Halfacre are believed to be carrying a handmade weapon, but not a handgun, Marchesoni said. First jail escape since 2001 Wednesday's jail escape is the first for Rutherford County since 2001. At that time, a Lebanon man who was charged in connection with a shooting at Walter Hill First Baptist Church escaped from the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. The man was charged with attempted murder of four people during a drug deal that triggered a gunfight during Sunday morning worship services outside the church. He was returned to the jail 12 hours later by his father. Manhunt impacts schools Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools will remain on a code yellow Thursday. A code yellow is a modified lockdown that restricts visitor access to the building. Students will follow their normal schedules but are escorted throughout the building. Rutherford County Schools placed a call to parents just before 6 a.m. stating that additional patrols would be in place as a precaution. In the call, district spokesman James Evans encouraged to make sure an adult was at the bus stop and suggested parents drive their children to school if they normally walk.<doc-sep>Two inmates, who overpowered an officer and escaped from the Rutherford County Adult Detention Facility overnight, have been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 Most Wanted list. Officials said at about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, Dewayne Halfacre and Jonathan Baxter assaulted a detention officer, climbed over the fence, and escaped the jail. They fled with the deputy's radio. The officer was treated at the scene for his or her injuries. The TBI said the reward for information leading to their capture has increased to $5,000 each. Deputies, with the help of Murfreesboro Police, are searching the area of New Salem Highway for the two men. K-9 officers are also working to track the inmates. Officials said they could be armed with a "homemade weapon." “The investigation reveals another detention officer failed to follow proper procedures after the deputy was assaulted, resulting in the inmates escaping through an outside door,” Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. “The investigation on the improper procedure is ongoing.” A 2005 grey Honda Civic was stolen from an auto auction just a few blocks from the jail along Old Fort Parkway around 3 a.m. The suspects allegedly jumped over an electrified fence to enter the secure lot. The keys were reportedly inside the car, but it apparently did not have much gas. The vehicle was later recovered in Smyrna. Schools in Rutherford County have been placed on "Code Yellow" lockdown as a precaution. Visitors will be restricted from entering school buildings today. Halfacre's arrest in an aggravated assault case was heavily reported by NewsChannel 5. He was placed on the TBI's Most Wanted list in early 2018. He and another man are accused of carrying two semi-automatic handguns into the Almaville Market and robbing the clerks inside. The sheriff's office said both inmates were wearing white t-shirts and orange pants at the time of the escape. If anyone sees men matching their descriptions, call 911 right away.<doc-sep>
Authorities spent Wednesday searching for two Rutherford County inmates who they said assaulted a detention officer at the jail and fled the facility. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said Dewayne Lee Halfacre, 43, of Lynchburg and Jonathan Cody Baxter, 28, of White Drive in Murfreesboro, overpowered a female detention officer and escaped at about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday. They made off with the deputy's radio. The unnamed deputy was treated at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital for minor injuries and released. “The investigation reveals another detention officer failed to follow proper procedures after the deputy was assaulted, resulting in the inmates escaping through an outside door,” Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. “The investigation on the improper procedure is ongoing.” Wednesday's escape was the first one for the Rutherford County Jail since 2001. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has placed the inmates on the Top 10 Most Wanted list, offering up to a $5,000 reward each for information leading to their capture. This is Halfacre's second time on the Most Wanted list after police said he was involved with a robbery in January. Rutherford County Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000 per inmate for information leading to their capture. They're believed to have some sort of handmade weapon that is not a gun, RCSO spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni said. As of late Wednesday afternoon, investigators were in the area of Old Nashville Highway and Baker Road looking for the two men. The search team included K-9 units and a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter. Both inmates were last seen wearing white T-shirts and orange pants, according to RCSO. Halfacre was being held on an aggravated assault charge and Baxter was being held on a charge of failing to appear in court on a theft charge. Both men were awaiting trials, according to the release. Halfacre was named to the TBI's Most Wanted list in January after police said he robbed clerks at Almaville Market at gunpoint. He remained at large for five days before being captured by TBI agents in Marion County. Agencies as far away as Cheatham County were looking out for the men, as Halfacre's mother lives in Ashland City, said Ashland City Police Chief Marc Coulon. Some residents in search area lock themselves down As law enforcement searched for Halfacre and Baker near Florence Road and Old Nashville Highway, traffic continued to flow smoothly. Resident Joseph Laws said he could see a helicopter circling over his home on Summertime Drive just outside the Smyrna town limits. He said law enforcement officials told him one of the fugitives was spotted somewhere near Chicken Pike off Old Nashville Highway, which is located about two miles from his residence and near Smyrna High School. Laws said he was “staying indoors with my doors locked” until the men were caught. The Boys & Girls Club in Smyrna also was in lockdown during the afternoon search. In a phone message to parents Wednesday morning, Rutherford County Schools spokesman James Evans said schools in the area were searched before the school day began and were on code yellow lockdown to restrict visitors from entering the building. The two closest schools to the jail are McFadden School of Excellence on Bridge Avenue and Riverdale High School on Warrior Drive. All county-run schools are staffed with a full-time school resource officer. Residents are urged to call 911 immediately if they spot either man. Anyone with information about their location can call the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office at 615-898-7770. This is a developing story. Kelly Fisher contributed to this report. Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@gannett.com or 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @brinleyhineman