INMATE SHOT INSIDE GRADY PLEADS GUILTY

Wesley Mansfield Draws 12 Year Sentence

Atlanta—The Office of the Fulton County District Attorney announces the conviction of Wesley Mansfield of Alpharetta, the Fulton County Jail inmate who wreaked havoc in the emergency room of Grady Memorial Hospital a year ago. On September 15, 2005, Mansfield was cuffed at the leg to a hospital bed when he managed to grab a gun from the holster of Deputy R. Harp. As the two fought furiously for control of the weapon and patients and hospital staff scurried for cover, Sgt. R. Thomas, also a Fulton County deputy, shot Mansfield in the shoulder and regained control of the inmate.

The 22-year-old Mansfield pleaded guilty to the charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and removal of a weapon from a public official. Fulton County Senior Assistant District Attorney Brett Pinion prosecuted the case. Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson accepted the plea and imposed a prison sentence of 25 years with the defendant having to serve at least 12 years.

The evidence showed Mansfield feigned an injury in order to be taken to the hospital. Once there, a nurse saw him inject morphine into his thigh and asked Deputy Harp to “write him up.” Mansfield became agitated and lunged for the deputy’s gun. At the time of the hospital incident, Mansfield was in jail on a charge of possession of heroin. He pleaded guilty to that charge today and was given a two year sentence to run concurrently with the 25 year term.

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404.730.6860 (office); 404.597.6963 (pager); lyn. vaughn@co.fulton.ga.us