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| Authorities say inmates escaped, purchased beer then returned to jail |
| By Rogersville Review |
| Published: 07/26/2004 |
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Four Hawkins County, Tenn., Jail inmates now face additional charges after they reportedly escaped from the jail, purchased beer at two convenience store then returned to their cells, officials said last week. According to Hawkins County Sheriff Warren Rimer, the events leading to the escape began last Thursday evening when a jailer put a key in the fire emergency release lock in a control panel by mistake and opened all the electric doors in the E block section of the jail. When the jailer realized the wrong key slot had been turned the employee took action that should have reactivated all the locks, with the control panel showing all green lights indicating all jail doors were secure, the sheriff explained. Authorities say they believe two inmates left the jail by going out of the fire escape door into the exercise yard and then through a hole in the exercise yard fence they had made at approximately 11 p.m. The two men reportedly walked to the Appco Market, on West Main Street, purchased beer, walked back to the jail and then went back inside. The sheriff said two additional inmates left the jail around midnight, walked to the Amoco Market on Highway 66, and made additional beer purchases and returned to the jail. Around 2:30 a.m. jailers discovered the fire escape door was ajar, being held open by a small Bible. During a search of the exercise yard jailers found several cartons of beer and a hole in the exercise yard fence, Rimer said. Authorities believe the inmates pooled their money and brought three 12-packs and an 18-pack of beer back to the jail. Although jail inmates normally wear easily identifiable orange uniforms, because of the large number of inmates being housed in the jail some inmates were wearing their personal clothing and the escapees borrowed clothing to make their shopping excursions, the sheriff said. The electronic malfunction has been corrected and additional orange jail uniforms were obtained so that no inmates will be wearing street clothing, sheriff's department employees said. |
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