Memphis, TN – Shelby County authorities say an inmate accidentally released from the county jail Wednesday was taken back into custody this morning after a rapid search by law enforcement.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Cameron Brooks was mistakenly released on December 10 from the main jail at 201 Poplar. Brooks had appeared in court on December 9, where one aggravated rape charge from 2022 was dismissed. However, another rape charge remained active, and Brooks had pled guilty. Officials say that remaining charge did not have a legal hold properly attached in the county’s information system.
Because the legal hold was not reflected in the release documents processed by Shelby County Information Technologies, jail staff had no lawful basis to continue detaining Brooks at the time, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Shortly after Brooks was released, jail personnel were informed that a hold should have been placed for the pending charge. Supervisors immediately contacted the Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team, which began efforts to find Brooks.
On Thursday morning around 10 a.m., the Fugitive Apprehension Team located and apprehended Brooks without incident. He was transported to Division 2 and turned over to court deputies.
Officials emphasized that jail staff acted appropriately based on the information available during the release and that no legal holds or bond revocations had been processed or communicated at the time.
County IT officials and the Sheriff’s Office say they will review and improve procedures for entering and communicating legal holds to prevent future errors.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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