SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (Feb. 10, 2022): The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Johnny Shane Brown was in custody Thursday night after he was found and arrested by the U.S. Marshals in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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UPDATE (Feb. 7, 2022): The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office said two of the three escaped inmates are dead after a chase in North Carolina.
According to the SCSO, Tobias Carr and Timothy Sarver died in Wilmington, N.C. on Monday. Deputies said the two were involved in a convenience store robbery in another part of N.C. and led officers on a multi-jurisdiction chase before their vehicle was disabled.
Deputies did not say how the two died but said they will release additional details when possible.
Johnny Brown remains at large. Anyone with information is asked to contact 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Original Story:
State and local law enforcement in Sullivan County are asking for the public's help finding three inmates who escaped from the Sullivan County Jail Friday morning.
Leslie Earhart with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said TBI agents are assisting the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office in the search for inmates Tobias Carr, Johnny Brown, and Timothy Sarver.
The SCSO said people should not try to approach the three if they see them and should instead call 911.
According to TBI, the three escapees may have been spotted in Pulaski, Virginia in the New River Valley area driving a white Chevy truck.
Tobias Carr, 38, is 5'11", weighs 160 pounds, and has blue eyes and brown hair. He was being held on charges of second-degree murder, vandalism, and tampering with evidence.
Johnny Brown, 50, is 5"11", weighs 200 pounds, and has brown eyes and gray hair. He was being held on charges including failure to appear, harassment, domestic assault, and violation of a protection order.
Timothy Sarver, 45, is 6'2", weighs 235 pounds, and has green eyes and strawberry blonde hair. He was being held on charges of auto theft and being an unlawful person carrying a weapon.
According to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, citizens were alerted through a Reverse 911 call.
The U.S. Marshals Service is also assisting in the search.
Officials said the Sullivan County Public Library was put on lockdown, and Sullivan County Schools are on "secure" status after the three inmates escaped from the Sullivan County Jail Friday morning.
School officials said "secure" means that all doors are locked, but the day continues as normal.
Sullivan County Schools will also have increased officers at schools at the end of the day.