Atlanta police and sheriff’s deputies finally brought a dramatic manhunt to an end after Timothy Shane, a 52-year-old Rockdale County inmate, escaped from Grady Memorial Hospital and sparked chaos across the city and surrounding counties. What began as a routine medical visit turned into a multi-day search involving stolen cars, a serious crash and frightened neighbors before Shane was caught hiding in an abandoned home early Wednesday morning in Newton County.
Shane was at Grady late Sunday after jail officials said he tried to hurt himself. Just after 1:20 a.m. Monday, he slipped away from deputies while wearing a hospital gown and no shoes. Investigators later said his restraints had been removed for medical testing and were not put back on properly, allowing Shane to bolt down corridors and out a door without an officer stopping him.
Less than a mile from the hospital, Shane stole an SUV that was parked on the street. Inside that SUV was a Glock handgun, which was taken during the getaway, according to law enforcement sources. Shane crashed the SUV into another vehicle in Atlanta, seriously injuring the driver in that crash, and then fled on foot. The victim later described facing a long road to recovery after the frightening collision.
Once free, Shane didn’t stop. Surveillance video showed him stealing a silver Pontiac Grand Prix near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Deputies later found that car abandoned at a Publix parking lot in Henry County. Along the way, he changed clothes, got shoes on his feet and even managed to hail a rideshare vehicle to a residence in south Rockdale — though he wasn’t there when deputies searched the house.
For over 50 hours, law enforcement agencies from multiple counties and even police K-9 units combed the metro Atlanta area looking for Shane. Neighbors in Covington reported a man matching his description knocking on doors in the early morning hours, asking for help and looking disoriented. Doorbell cameras captured footage that helped officers track his movement.
At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, deputies, with help from a tracking dog, followed a scent to an abandoned house on Morris Drive in Newton County. Shane was found inside and taken into custody without further incident. Officials said he did not resist when they found him, ending an escape that had terrified residents and stretched law enforcement resources.
Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett said the internal investigation shows “policy violations” in how Shane’s restraints were handled, but so far there’s no evidence to pursue criminal charges against the deputy involved. That deputy remains on paid administrative leave as authorities work to understand exactly how a chained inmate slipped away from under custody in one of the city’s busiest hospitals.
