Cedartown Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Assaulting Jail Officers
POLK COUNTY, Ga. — A Cedartown man will serve two decades in prison after pleading guilty to attacking two jail officers earlier this year.
Dewayne Young, 46, of Cedartown, pled guilty on November 3 before Superior Court Judge Andrew Roper to charges stemming from a July 5, 2025 incident at the Polk County Jail that left two officers injured.
Young had been indicted by a Polk County Grand Jury on multiple counts of aggravated assault related to the attack. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed for the offenses.
According to investigators, the assault occurred when jail staff were retrieving lunch trays from observation cells. Young became agitated, flooded his cell, and made verbal threats before fashioning a homemade weapon. When officers entered the cell to restore order, Young attacked them, causing injuries to both.
The officers—identified as Corporal Smith, Officer Penny, and Officer Dyer—were able to retreat and secure the cell to contain Young.
District Attorney Jaeson Smith praised the outcome, stating:
“We were pleased to sentence Young to the maximum sentence. Our office will work closely with the Board of Pardons and Paroles to do everything within our power to make sure Young serves every day of the next two decades in prison. I thank all of our jailers for their dedication to Polk County and I am extremely thankful the injured jailers were able to return to work within days. Our local jailers have extremely difficult and dangerous jobs. If an inmate attempts to hurt them, that inmate will go to prison for a long time.”
Smith added that the sentence reflects his office’s commitment to protecting law enforcement officers and holding violent offenders fully accountable.
https://weisradio.com/2025/10/09/juvenile-dies-following-emergency-response-in-polk-county/
