Arkansas State Police joined the Brinkley Police Department on Thursday in searching for a 41-year-old inmate who escaped from the city jail after allegedly assaulting two law enforcement personnel, authorities said.
The man was being held at the Brinkley Police Department Jail in Monroe County while awaiting bed space with the Arkansas Division of Correction. He reportedly took an officer’s Taser during the encounter and left the facility on foot at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday, according to state police.
Search continues in Brinkley
Investigators said the inmate initially traveled south on New Orleans Avenue. He was seen about 20 minutes later near railroad tracks within Brinkley, state police said. Troopers and special agents are working with Brinkley officers and an Arkansas Department of Correction K-9 unit in the search.
Authorities described the man as a Black male who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 260 pounds. He has short black hair, brown eyes and tattoos on both arms, his back and his neck. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, yellow jumpsuit pants and white socks. He was not wearing shoes.
- Call 911 with emergency information.
- Contact the Brinkley Police Department at 870-734-3434.
- Contact Arkansas State Police Troop D at 870-633-1454.
Police urged residents not to approach the inmate or try to restrain him. Authorities said he should be considered armed and dangerous because he reportedly took the Taser while escaping.
Inmate’s correctional records
Arkansas Department of Corrections records identify the man as an inmate since January 2013. The records list sentences connected to firearms possession, two drug-possession counts, possession of a firearm by certain persons and forgery. He previously completed a two-year sentence for aggravated robbery, according to the records. Officials also cited a history of domestic battery.
The allegations surrounding Thursday’s escape and assaults remain under investigation. The man has not been convicted of any new offense arising from the reported jail incident, and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
