Investigation underway in case of inmate who fled 2 blocks near district court
An investigation is underway in the case of an inmate who briefly fled on foot around 12:45 p.m. Monday while being transported outside, warden Beau Sneddon said as he addressed the county prison board at a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Sneddon said the inmate was being transported on foot from the Butler County Prison by an outside agency to the court building about 15 feet away when he fled two blocks. He was not shackled, but had his hands handcuffed to a belt. One officer was with him.
“Routinely, agencies will walk inmates from the prison to the District Court,” Sneddon said. “That was the case in this instance, and for whatever reason, this inmate wasn’t in shackles.”
Sneddon said agencies typically will provide their own gear when transporting an inmate. He said he expects the respective agency, which he declined to name, to head an internal investigation. Separately, he said there will be a criminal investigation. The prison also will review its internal policies, he said at the meeting.
Three nearby officers who were walking to district court to testify in a preliminary hearing helped apprehend the inmate “minutes later,” Sneddon said.
“I just want agencies to know we will help,” he said. “We’ll lend out gear to people. We’ll lend out manpower if they have a … security concern.”
Tuesday morning, the prison board approved a refrigeration project to restructure HVAC units controlling a freezer and walk-in coolers. Construction on the estimated $112,849 project will be overseen by TriMark. Sneddon said he hopes the work will begin sometime in late October or early November.
