Murder suspect escapes private security transport vehicle
Gary Indiana December 17 2020
The security company charged with the custody of a murder suspect who escaped in Gary on Monday acted negligently and should be held accountable for endangering the public, the Lake County prosecutor said Tuesday.
Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he will be working together with other law enforcement agencies to demand, through a lawsuit if necessary, that the private security firm reimburse local law enforcement for all costs associated with hunting down the fugitive.
Carter said an employee for Green Bay, Wisconsin-based REDI Transports did not follow proper law enforcement protocol Monday while transporting Leon Taylor, 22, from O’Hare International Airport to the Lake County Jail.
REDI Transport did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment Tuesday.
Taylor, who was arrested in Texas Dec. 2, was wanted for an alleged murder in East Chicago and is the suspect in five Northwest Indiana armed robberies.
Taylor escaped a REDI transport vehicle in Gary on Monday as it waited in line at a McDonald’s drive-thru, police said. The agent pulled into the drive-thru near 35th Avenue and Grant Street in Gary to ensure the prisoner was fed before heading to the Lake County Jail, police said.
The REDI agent initially told authorities Taylor asked him to roll down a window so he could “spit,” and then escaped once the window was rolled down; however, surveillance footage obtained by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department shows Taylor opening the door to the vehicle and running off.
“We are looking into this matter as part of an extensive review of the case,” Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday police were still searching for the man.
Martinez said upon reviewing the video, it is apparent there were no shackles on the man and at about 11 seconds into the footage, the man appears to be struggling with his leg brace.
“We believe shackles could have prevented the suspect from getting away,” Martinez said. “We also believe the suspect may have been manipulating his leg brace during the trip and was apparently continuing to disable the device when he exited the SUV.”
Martinez said he found it “appalling” that REDI failed to use appropriate protocols.
“After watching this video, I am highly disturbed and disappointed by the procedures the private transportation driver used during the transfer of this suspect to our jail,” Martinez said.
As the search for Taylor continued just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, Carter expressed anger at the security company while on the phone with The Times.
“I’m extremely upset. They have jeopardized citizens’ safety, law enforcement safety and are forcing our local agencies to expend significant resources to find this individual, who already is the suspect in a homicide and armed robberies,” Carter said. “They should have taken significant steps to secure this individual, and they did not.
“We’re going to request that every penny we spend to track him down be recouped from this company,” Carter said. “We will be prepared to file a lawsuit at the appropriate time.”
nwi.com
