The Tulsa Co. Sheriff's Office says burglary suspect Antonio Myrie was being transported to the jail Thursday evening, from the Tulsa County Courthouse. He is on trial for second degree burglary and arson.
When deputies arrived inside the vehicle sally port (booking garage), they say as Myrie was exiting the transport van he escaped and was able to pry open the garage doors because there was a 12 to 18 inch wide gap. Myrie then escaped on foot.
"It's a very rare thing. The vehicle sally port is typically an area where we are moving police cars and prisoners into to keep them out of inclement weather conditions and also for a little bit of security for the officers," says Tulsa County Sheriff's Office PIO Sgt. Shannon Clark. "It's not a hard fast security type of environment like it would be behind the doors inside the facility. So when they go in there the subject was able to escape from the grasp of the deputy and get through the door while they gave chase and were able to manipulate him through that small crack."
Officials says Myrie managed to change clothes and get a hand cuff key and unlock his cuffs.
Tulsa police and Tulsa Co. Sheriff's deputies caught him at 3rd and Houston, wearing blue clothing and his jail shoes. He had purchased what is believed to be crack. He was unarmed. He will be facing escape charges. His trial was still going on. Officials say this is still under investigation but believe this was planned.
Tonight detention officers stand guard at entrance of the booking garage.
"We are making sure these doors are being attended to until we have someone with our maintenance department or someone with the door company to come and take a look at the doors and make sure what we are going to need to make sure that they are properly secured," says Clark.
Myrie was also arrested back in 2002 in connection with business burglaries. Back then, he escaped capture one evening only to call the police station to taunt officers about his getaway. He was arrested the next day. Tulsa Police also tell FOX23, Myrie is also on trial for torching Name Brand Clothing and trying to steal the safe in August of 2008. Police say DNA at the scene matched that of Myrie.
