Brandon jail escapee left trail of damage in 17 minutes of freedom, police say
28-year-old inmate racks up new charges for his return to Brandon Correctional Centre
A Brandon Correctional Centre inmate who made a 17-minute escape is now accused of carjacking, injuring three correctional officers and damaging seven vehicles in that time.
The 28-year-old Brandon man's brief spell on the loose ended with charges of escaping lawful custody, two counts of resisting arrest, three counts of assaulting a police officer with a weapon, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, three counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, flight while pursued by a police officer, attempted motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle theft and robbery with violence.
The man had been taken to the Brandon Regional Health Centre for care but was being escorted back to jail by three correctional officers on Monday at 2:40 p.m., Brandon police said in a news release.
When they reached the transport vehicle, the inmate kept walking, police said.
The officers tried to redirect him to the vehicle, but he slipped off a handcuff and used it as a weapon to hit the officers multiple times, the news release said.
Two of the officers fell, one hitting his head on the pavement. The other one got back up and he and the third officer tried to subdue the man, but he took off, jumping over a nearby fence.
He tried to get into a nearby parked vehicle by hitting the window with a handcuff, but it didn't work, police said in the news release.
He then ran to a vehicle with a driver in it, got in the passenger side and demanded the person drive. The person refused and was pushed out.
He took the wheel, hitting parked cars behind and in front of the car as he left the parking spot, then driving onto the sidewalk, forcing a correctional officer to jump out of the way and almost hitting a cyclist, police said.
At 2:52 p.m., the Brandon Police Service was told about a suspicious vehicle driving down Pacific Avenue.
They found a vehicle being driven by the inmate and tried to stop him again, but he drove around a police cruiser, hit a parked car and then lost control and hit three more parked cars, police said.
He resisted, but Brandon police got him out of the vehicle and he was returned to the Brandon Correctional Centre.
Two of the correctional officers were initially escorting him suffered swelling and bruising, while the third had a large contusion and abrasions on his head and neck, police said.