12:30 P.M. UPDATE:
On Tuesday, deputies with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a residence on Johnson Circle in Flowery Branch to assist the Gwinnett County Police Department with the apprehension of an escaped inmate.
“With information provided by Gwinnett PD, HCSO deputies arrived at the location just after 10 p.m. and spoke with the homeowner, who confirmed the inmate, Gilbert Lee Burch, 48, of Lawrenceville, was in a bedroom of the residence,” HCSO spokeswoman B.J. Williams said. “When deputies made contact with Mr. Burch, he barricaded the bedroom door and an exterior entry door, refusing to exit the house. Deputies learned Mr. Burch was armed with two knives.”
Investigators from Gwinnett County Police responded to the scene and units from the Flowery Branch Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol responded as backup.
“A standoff ensued, with investigators attempting to negotiate with Mr. Burch for more than two hours before informing him they would make a forced entry into the room,” Williams said. “At that point, Mr. Burch agreed to surrender. He was taken into custody just before 1 a.m. and transported to the Hall County Jail on a charge of felony obstruction.”
Late Thursday morning, Burch remained in jail on a “hold” “for Gwinnett County.
EARLIER STORY. POSTED AT 6:45 THIS MORNING – An escapee from a Gwinnett County Work Release Program was being held in the Hall County Jail early Thursday after he was taken into custody Wednesday.
Gilbert Lee Burch had been on the run for several days when he was picked up. Details of his capture were not immediately available but the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Daily Bulletin for Thursday shows that he was arrested about shortly after midnight Tuesday in Flowery Branch.
Gwinnett authorities say he was also wanted for burglarizing a house while on the run.
Hall County Jail records also show he’s charged with obstructing a police officer.