Louisiana Prisoner Attempts Escape By Leaping From 3rd Floor

The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Department has probably seen a lot of crazy stuff before, but this one had to be a first for those who saw it.

Get our free mobile app

It was approximately 11:38 am yesterday, Monday, November 12, when an inmate being transported from 9th Judicial District Court in downtown Alexandria back to Detention Center 3 attempted to escape by jumping off the third floor parking garage.

The Sheriff's Department adds that according to the initial reports, the inmate, who was handcuffed and shackled, broke away from deputies loading the transport van with inmates returning from court and ran to the corner of the garage.

At that time, as deputies approached the inmate giving him verbal commands to get on the ground, the inmate jumped over the side of the parking garage, landing on the sidewalk at Johnston Street at Foisy Street.

Apparently there were additional deputies on the street who witnessed the inmate landing on the sidewalk. The deputies responded and quickly assessed his injuries and called for RPSO Medical Staff and Acadian Ambulance.

The account from those deputies is that the inmate was alert and conversing when Acadian Ambulance arrived and transported him to a local hospital.

In a story from the Louisiana Radio Network, we learn from Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tommy Carnline that the inmate was in court for an obscenity charge.

Carnline said the prisoner sustained a broken foot and leg from his jump. “That’s a pretty good ways, we’re talking probably 45 feet or so. I’m just thankful that he wasn’t injured any further.”

Corrections Security Investigators say his incident is still under investigation.