Derrick Groves, the final inmate to escape the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a standoff with police in Atlanta, Ga., authorities confirmed.
Law enforcement sources told WWL that officers surrounded a home in southwest Atlanta after receiving a tip that Groves might be inside. The home was reportedly gassed multiple times before Groves was apprehended. Groves had escaped the New Orleans jail on May 16 along with nine other inmates. While all other escapees have been recaptured, Groves remained at large for nearly five months.
He was serving time for the killings of two men on Mardi Gras Day 2018 in New Orleans' Ninth Ward and was awaiting sentencing at the time of his escape. Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed Groves' arrest and stated that he now faces new charges related to his escape. "We plan to ensure that he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law," she said.
Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams also released a statement regarding the capture: "Today, we have confirmed that escaped inmate Derrick Groves has been captured in Atlanta, Georgia—following a standoff at a residence in southwest Atlanta—after nearly five months on the run after his escape from Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office custody on May 16, 2025."
"Groves' escape represented a serious breach of public safety and a historic failure of custodial security. His capture brings long-awaited calm to victims, their families, witnesses, and the people of New Orleans. We will pursue every available legal avenue to ensure that Derrick Groves answers for every crime he has committed and every consequence he has sought to avoid."
"On behalf of my office and the citizens of New Orleans, I'd like to thank U.S. Marshal Brian Fair, the Marshals Service, authorities in Atlanta, and every agency and individual who helped lead to this arrest."
Groves' apprehension closes the chapter on one of the most significant jail breaks in recent New Orleans history, bringing relief to law enforcement and the community.