Inset: Quantraves Hall (Warner Robins Police Department). Background: A state office building where employees were falsely imprisoned in Warner Robins, Ga. (Google Maps).
In a startling incident in Georgia, a prison guard, reportedly enraged over child support payments, took drastic action against social welfare workers, according to state law enforcement officials.
Quantraves Hall, aged 25, now faces serious charges, including four counts each of false imprisonment and making terroristic threats, as detailed by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
This unsettling episode unfolded late last week at the Georgia Department of Family and Child Services (DFCS) offices, located on Cohen Walker Drive in Warner Robins. This city, with a moderate size, sits about 20 miles south of Macon.
The incident, which occurred on December 18, involved Hall arriving at the DFCS offices visibly upset over his child support payments, according to an incident report shared by the Macon-based CBS and The CW affiliate, WMAZ.
Upon entering the building, Hall allegedly locked the front door behind him, effectively trapping four employees inside. Police reports suggest he then began to verbally assault the employees, venting his frustrations about his child support responsibilities. His tirade included cursing at the state workers and attempting to breach a restricted area meant only for employees.
Ultimately, security personnel intervened and escorted Hall out of the building, bringing an end to the tense standoff.
Police arrived soon thereafter and interviewed the employees.
“While speaking with staff it was clear they were all visibly upset,” the incident report reads.
One of the DFCS employees was hyperventilating and had to sit down during their interview, according to law enforcement.
By the time police arrived, however, Hall had already left the scene.
The defendant later showed up at the police station on his own accord and agreed to speak with investigators, police said.
Hall, for his part, admittedly locked the door – but, in his defense, said he also unlocked the door, according to the police report. The defendant also accepted culpability for cursing at the DFCS employees and trying to access the restricted area, police said.
But Hall would become argumentative over the course of that interview, police said. The defendant allegedly questioned the charges leveled against him and refused to provide the name of his then-Georgia Department of Corrections supervisor.
The next day, however, it became a moot point as Hall was fired by the state after being charged.
“We remain steadfast in our zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who violates their oath and undermines our essential mission of public safety,” the prison agency said in a statement obtained by the TV station. “The conduct of this individual in no way represents the professionalism and daily commitment of the hundreds of Officers who uphold the safety of the public and our facilities.”
The defendant was arrested and charged. After being detained in the Houston County Jail, Hall quickly posted bond.
No court dates are scheduled in the case as of this writing.
