Ohio Inmate Slips Out of Hospital

Published: January 24, 2008

DAYTON, Ohio – A county jail inmate seeking treatment at Miami Valley Hospital was released by a security guard and a nurse during a Jan. 14 visit. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is trying to determine how the incident happened.

The escapee, 45-year-old Christopher Stewart, was booked into the county jail at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 13 for kidnapping, felonious assault and resisting arrest. The following day, he was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for signs of a head injury, according to Dayton police.

Stewart was initially escorted to the hospital by a deputy; however, once he became a patient, a security guard from a security company became responsible for watching him. Chief Deputy Phil Plummer said hiring security guards to look after inmates cut costs of overtime.

Some time on Jan. 14, the security guard went off shift and was replaced by another unarmed guard who had only been employed for a few weeks. The guard submitted a written statement to the sheriff’s office explaining that a nurse informed him of Stewart’s release and to remove the inmate’s shackles. A cab was then called for Stewart.

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Around 7:25 p.m., Stewart’s wife contacted police and reported the inmate’s return home. She said he arrived in a cab wearing a hospital gown and an adult diaper. He was arrested by Dayton police and taken back to jail.

Plummer attributes the mix up to a failure to communicate. He said the nurse should have informed the guard when the inmate was ready to return to the jail. Then, the guard would have been able to contact the sheriff’s office to verify the information.

Officials from the sheriff’s office plan to meet with security company officials to discuss why the company violated the contract. Plummer said the contract states the guards must be armed when dealing with prisoners. If the security company refuses to correct their mistakes, the sheriff’s office said it will find business elsewhere.

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