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Posted: July 21, 2004 11:03 am
Four jail inmates escape for beer run, return to party
ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- They only went out for beer, and they came right back.
But four Hawkins County Jail inmates who walked away, bought more than two cases of beer and returned to party with other prisoners have been charged with escape.
Ridgy Dean Coleman, Jimmy Joe Stapleton, David Wayne Blizzard and David Allen Hopkins also were charged Monday with introduction of intoxicants into a penal institution.
The escape happened Thursday night after cell block doors were accidentally left unlocked and a faulty control panel failed to alert jailers, Sheriff Warren Rimer said.
Two of the inmates then walked out through a fire exit, left the door propped open with a small Bible and made a hole in the exercise yard fence.
They walked to a nearby market, bought some beer and returned to the jail.
When the booze ran out, the other two inmates made another beer run to a different store.
Authorities believe they bought a total of three 12-packs and an 18-pack of beer.
"I guess they thought if they came back they wouldn't be charged with escape, but they were wrong," Rimer said.
The store visits didn't raise alarm because the inmates were wearing street clothes borrowed from other prisoners. The crowded jail doesn't have enough orange jumpsuits for all inmates.
"It's an unfortunate incident, and the inmates involved are going to be punished," Rimer said. "It wasn't really anybody's fault."
The sheriff pointed out that all 36 inmates on the cell block could have tried to escaped while the doors were unlocked.
"At least they came back," he said.
ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- They only went out for beer, and they came right back.
But four Hawkins County Jail inmates who walked away, bought more than two cases of beer and returned to party with other prisoners have been charged with escape.
Ridgy Dean Coleman, Jimmy Joe Stapleton, David Wayne Blizzard and David Allen Hopkins also were charged Monday with introduction of intoxicants into a penal institution.
The escape happened Thursday night after cell block doors were accidentally left unlocked and a faulty control panel failed to alert jailers, Sheriff Warren Rimer said.
Two of the inmates then walked out through a fire exit, left the door propped open with a small Bible and made a hole in the exercise yard fence.
They walked to a nearby market, bought some beer and returned to the jail.
When the booze ran out, the other two inmates made another beer run to a different store.
Authorities believe they bought a total of three 12-packs and an 18-pack of beer.
"I guess they thought if they came back they wouldn't be charged with escape, but they were wrong," Rimer said.
The store visits didn't raise alarm because the inmates were wearing street clothes borrowed from other prisoners. The crowded jail doesn't have enough orange jumpsuits for all inmates.
"It's an unfortunate incident, and the inmates involved are going to be punished," Rimer said. "It wasn't really anybody's fault."
The sheriff pointed out that all 36 inmates on the cell block could have tried to escaped while the doors were unlocked.
"At least they came back," he said.
