By Allen Powell
Times-Picayune
GRETNA, La. — A botched search apparently allowed a prisoner to escape near the Gretna courthouse Wednesday, and the manhunt for the escapee continued Thursday.
Lum Jones, 23, escaped from authorities Wednesday morning after he pushed a Concordia Parish official down and fled to a waiting car. One of the big mysteries of Jones’ escape was how he managed to run quickly enough to escape despite being shackled on both his hands and feet. Jones also managed to strip down to his underwear while running to the waiting car.
On Thursday, Kathleen Stevens, a spokeswoman for Concordia Parish, said an internal investigation has determined that the correctional officers who loaded Jones for transport neglected to strip-search him. She said authorities believe he smuggled an unknown object onto the van with him and picked the locks on his shackles on the ride to Gretna from River Correctional Center in Ferriday.
The correctional officers who failed to follow procedure will be disciplined by Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell.
However, Maxwell questioned why out-of-town agencies are not allowed to unload prisoners behind the locked gates of the “sally port” at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Typically, when Jefferson Parish deputies transport prisoners to the jail they pull their vehicles into the sally port and two gates lock behind them.
The manhunt for Jones continued with officers in the West Bank Major Crimes Task Force receiving assistance from state and federal authorities. Officials have received several anonymous tips about Jones’ location and are following up on all leads, said Maj. Anthony Christiana, a spokesman for the Gretna Police Department. Jones’ last known address was 536 Emile Ave. near Westwego.
Christiana said the public should be cautious about approaching Jones. “We believe he is armed and dangerous,” he said. Jones has been charged with two counts of battery of a police officer, simple burglary, simple escape, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute near a school and aggravated flight from a police officer, stemming from incidents in December 2007 and September 2008.
Christiana confirmed that a courthouse security video shows Jones running near the levee, and added that in that video Jones appears to be out of his leg shackles. Christiana said Concordia Parish officials were aware of the “caliber of prisoner” Jones was. However, Maxwell said he was not aware of Jones’ prior escape history.
In December 2007, Jones escaped from an interview room at the Jefferson Parish detectives’ bureau despite being handcuffed to a security chain and being under close supervision by deputies, according to an incident report. Jones was handcuffed to a security chain while deputies filled out paperwork. The report states that deputies checked on Jones numerous times, but the last time they checked he was gone. All deputies found was an open window and a red baseball cap on a table in the room.
Copyright 2009 Times-Picayune