POLK COUNTY, Ga. — A Cedartown man will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting two jail officers earlier this year.
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Dewayne Young’s plea came before a judge following an indictment by a Polk County grand jury on multiple counts of aggravated assault.
The July 5 assault involved the 46-year-old inmate attacking the officers with a homemade weapon, resulting in injuries to both officers.
Young was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty.
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District Attorney Jaeson Smith expressed satisfaction with the sentence, stating, “We were pleased to sentence Young to the maximum sentence. Our office will work closely with the Board of Pardons and Paroles to do everything within our power to make sure Young serves every day of the next two decades in prison.”
According to authorities, the assault occurred when jail staff were retrieving lunch trays from observation cells. Young became agitated, flooded his cell, and made verbal threats.
Despite attempts to secure compliance with a PepperBall launcher, Young escalated the situation by making a homemade weapon, deputies said.
Corporal Smith, Officer Penny, and Officer Dyer entered Young’s cell, where he attacked them with the weapon, officials said.
The officers exited the cell and secured the door to contain Young.
Penny and Dyer sustained stab wounds to their heads and arms but were treated and released from the hospital the same day, according to the sheriff’s office.
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