A Texas inmate bolted from a courthouse and held a prosecutor at knifepoint in a wild escape from custody on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Nigel Thomas Sanders, 35, a homeless man in jail on burglary charges, is considered a “dangerous individual,” Harris County Assistant Chief Phillip Bosquez told reporters.
The chaos started shortly before 3:30 p.m. local time when the inmate slipped away following his court appearance at the Harris County Criminal Courts Building.
Sanders sprinted through the basement tunnel, finding his way to the street where he “accosted” a prosecutor who was leaving work for the day, officials said.
“He jumped in her car, and she wrecked that car within just a few feet,” said Bosquez, adding that police believe Sanders had a knife but that the staffer was not injured.
Sanders — wearing orange pants and a black shirt — was last seen running down a Houston street toward the Buffalo Bayou, with some reports saying he lept into the water.
The fugitive prompted the University of Houston-Downtown to lock down the campus, warning students to “get indoors immediately. Lock outside doors. Avoid Windows.”
“There is still a threat to the community at this time,” said Bosquez.
Whether Sanders had outside help in obtaining the weapon or facilitating the escape is still a mystery.
According to Bosquez, the tunnel the fugitive sprinted through is used to transport inmates to the basement of the courthouse.
“There are different waypoints that we can’t talk — it’s security — but it’s in a secure tunnel,” the assistant chief said.
Sanders was in custody for two burglary charges and one charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, records show.
Police said he does not have a permanent address and lives a “transient lifestyle.” He’s 5-foot-5 and weighs 165 pounds.
Officials have also dispatched boats into the bayou to track down the man.
