The search is over for 2 inmates who escaped custody in Athens County.
According to Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith, the 2 men hadn’t even made it to the Southeastern Regional Jail yet when they managed to escape.
Smith showed NBC4 how he said Brian Chaney and Tyler Howard made their bold escape just before 3:00 pm Monday while being transferred from the Sheriff’s Office in Athens to the regional jail in Nelsonville about 20-minutes away.
“They came out of this door. Walked down the steps and 7 of them was loaded into 1 van which was up against this building. The other 2 took off this way and made a left hand turn down to Washington,” said Smith.
Jail records indicate Chaney was being held on charges of domestic violence, obstructing official business and escape. Howard was facing charges of felonious assault, tampering with evidence, domestic violence, aggravated menacing and a probation violation.
At some point after escaping the 2 men split up.
Chaney wound up on the front porch of a home on Walker street just off Ohio University’s campus, according to witnesses.
NBC4 spoke to the woman who called 9-1-1 when she spotted Chaney casually walking down the road.
“He was looking at his feet and as we were passing by he looked up and watched us pass and my son was driving and I said that’s one of the fugitives,” she said.
The residents of the home said Chaney asked one of them for help removing his handcuffs.
Around 5:20 police arrived and took him back into custody.
“I believe he was just sitting on the porch as best I know and the Athens Police Department came by and arrested him,” said Smith.
Then around 6:40 Howard was spotted at a nearby hospital where a security guard called authorities who arrested him moments later.
Both men were taken directly to the Southeastern regional jail.
Smith said his department is already re-examine their procedure for transferring inmates.
“We are gonna train you know and we’re gonna put shackles on and not just trust that they’re handcuffs on,” he said.
Smith also said additional charges related to the alleged escape will be added to the list each man already faced.
