WHEELER COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) — Investigators are looking into a 'use of force' incident that left an inmate at the Wheeler Correctional Facility dead.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), correctional officers at the prison in Wheeler County engaged with inmate Dustin Parham, 35, after he was showing abnormal behavior, being erratic and combative inside a dormitory on Sunday at around 5:45 a.m.
The GBI said Parham was armed with a makeshift weapon described as a "metal poker made from wire fencing."
The GBI's report said Parham was put in handcuffs through the doorway as he tried to exit, and several officers were involved with trying to subdue Parham. During his resistance, the GBI said officers used OC spray on Parham.
When the officers tried to place the inmate on a medical gurney, he became unresponsice. The GBI said Parham was pronounced dead at the scene and no other injuries were reported.
Parham's body will be taken to the Coastal Crime Lab in Pooler, Ga., for an official autopsy.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Parham was incarcerated for aggravated assault with a maximum release date of Dec. 4, 2050.
The GBI said it will conduct an independent investigation into Parham's death.
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