‘Dangerous’ inmates pry open skylight to escape jail, Tennessee cops say. Search is on

Two inmates are on the run after escaping a Tennessee jail by prying open a skylight on the roof, deputies said.

Ronnie Sharp, 48, and Joshua Harris, 40, were inmates at the Henry County Jail when they pried through the ceiling in their cell, according to a June 26 release from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

The two men went through the ceiling and then pried open a skylight in the jail roof, the sheriff’s office said.

The men left the jail in an “unknown direction,” deputies said, but they are believed to have stolen a truck from a nearby road.

A 2006 white Chevy 3500 four-door truck and a black dump bed was stolen nearby, deputies said.

Harris was in custody for a parole violation stemming from a history of evading arrest, theft and burglary, deputies said. He is 5 foot, 9 inches, weighing 150 pounds and originally from Paris, Tennessee.

Sharp was in custody for pending charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault, assault of an officer, evading arrest, theft and burglary, according to the release. He is 5 foot, 11 inches, weighing 160 pounds and originally from Hazel, Kentucky.

The sheriff’s office said both men are considered “dangerous,” and deputies warned the public to not approach the men if they are spotted. Instead, citizens are asked to call the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 731-642-1672 or a local law enforcement agency.

The inmates escaped from Paris, about 100 miles west of Nashville.

This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 2:36 PM with the headline "‘Dangerous’ inmates pry open skylight to escape jail, Tennessee cops say. Search is on."

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.