A man has been given a life sentence following a hostage situation and escape attempt at a prison in South Carolina.
Dejon Johnson authored this piece.
The inmate, Chavis L. Cox, who is 35 years old, has been found guilty of all charges against him, which include taking a hostage and attempting to escape.
In 2020, the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office reported that a male prisoner had taken a female correctional officer hostage and made an attempt to escape, resulting in a life sentence for the offender.
The court found Chavis L. Cox, aged 35, guilty of all charges, which includes taking a hostage by an inmate and attempted escape.
Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor Doug Fender from the Eleventh Circuit handled the prosecution of the case.
McCormick County General Sessions Court hosted the trial from May 28th to May 30th.
Debra R. McCaslin, the Chief Administrative Judge, has sentenced Cox to life imprisonment for the charge of taking a hostage.
According to the law in South Carolina, the offense is considered a second strike or the most serious crime.
At the time, Cox was already imprisoned for a murder conviction and serving a 40-year sentence.
Cox, along with two other defendants, coerced a female correctional officer into entering Cox’s cell on December 27, 2020.
Upon entering, she was instructed to disrobe and surrender her keys.
During the incident, Cox was reported to have been holding a “shank” according to the testimony of the correctional officer.
After confiscating her keys and radio, the authorities freed several inmates from their cells at the McCormick Correctional Institute.
The SLED SWAT Team had to intervene in response to an emergency situation caused by the release of more than 80 inmates.
The brave members of the SWAT team successfully rescued the female officer who was trapped inside Cox’s cell.
Correctional officers apprehended Cox and four other inmates as they attempted to escape the prison by climbing over a fence.
They discovered a smuggled mobile phone lying on the floor next to Cox.
Upon inspecting the cell phone, investigators discovered that Cox had been devising a plan to escape from prison prior to December 27th. The phone contained visual evidence, such as photos of Cox, as well as maps of the prison and a detailed escape strategy.
“Our state correctional officers have an extremely difficult and challenging job. The safety of these officers is paramount. The SLED SWAT Team and S.C. Department of Corrections Response Team were valiant in their rescue of this officer,” said 11th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes, after the verdict.
The S.C. Department of Corrections transferred Cox to a different prison to serve their sentence.
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