Police recapture escaped prisoner after hours-long manhunt in West Philadelphia
Man escapes police, found in West Philly shed
Police say a man who escaped custody after being treated for gunshot wounds at Penn Presbyterian Hospital was found and taken back into custody in West Philadelphia Tuesday, April 28, following a three-hour search involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
PHILADELPHIA - Police have captured a prisoner who briefly escaped custody at a West Philadelphia hospital, sparking an hours-long manhunt on Tuesday.
What we know:
Police say the prisoner was in custody after arriving at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center around 4 a.m. suffering from a gunshot wound.
While being transported from the hospital to police headquarters, investigators say the prisoner managed to escape custody.
That sparked an hours-long manhunt for the escaped prisoner, involving officers from the Drexel and UPenn police departments.
Police focused their search on Baring Street after receiving information from neighbors that they suspect could be hiding in the area.
Officers caught up with the suspect in the rear of a property on the 3400 block of Baring Street and placed him back in custody.
Dig deeper:
A neighbor captured video of police running over a back fence during the search.
Bob Roomet, who witnessed the capture, said, "Went out the back door. The dog was barking, and police were coming through the fence and the gate."
Roomet also said, "I was corralling the dog at the time. Wanted to keep the dog from getting involved with anything." Police have not confirmed if a Taser was used, but officers appeared to be holding a yellow device in their hands.
Roomet said, "He might have been tased. I saw him on the ground and they picked him up. I’m guessing."
Police used drones, K-9s, and received help from Drexel and UPenn police during the search, according to Inspector Massaquoi, who said, "We had information… gave us information that he was in this area."
Roomet said, "I’m glad that things were resolved without any serious injury or any injury that I know of."
Community reaction and unanswered questions
Roomet described the scene, saying, "Went out the back door. The dog was barking, and police were coming through the fence and the gate."
He also said, "I was corralling the dog at the time. Wanted to keep the dog from getting involved with anything."
Roomet added, "I’m glad that things were resolved without any serious injury or any injury that I know of."
Police have not released the man’s identity or provided further details about his connection to the early morning shooting.
A major question remains about how he escaped police custody at the hospital. The search drew attention from neighbors, with one capturing the dramatic police response on cell phone video.
What we don't know:
Police have not released the man’s name or details about how he escaped from custody at the hospital.
There is no information yet on his current condition or any charges he may face. Police have not shared further details about his involvement in the early morning shooting.
The Source: Information from Philadelphia police and interviews with witnesses.