Gun Pulled, Shot Fired At Georgia Prison

A man is in jail after authorities say he pulled a gun on a guard outside a south Georgia prison early Tuesday morning.

The guard, an off-duty sheriff's deputy patrolling the perimeter of Wilcox State Prison in Abbeville, fired a shot in defense, prison officials say.

Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Joan Heath said the man was attempting to deliver contraband to the prison. No one was injured in the incident, Heath said.

The incident happened at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, WALB-TV in Albany reported. The man trying to drop contraband ran away, but was captured around 6 a.m. after a manhunt involving search dogs and other units from the Crisp County Sheriff's Office, authorities say. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app)

Two packages filled with contraband items were found on prison property after the incident. Officials were not saying what was in them Tuesday morning.

Wilcox State Prison is about 150 miles south of Atlanta. It is a medium-security facility housing about 1,800 inmates.

Photo via Shuttestock