A homicide suspect who escaped police custody allegedly broke loose while “not secured” in handcuffs, police say.
Christopher Patrick Haynes, 30, escaped police custody on Wednesday afternoon as handcuffs were being changed, said Pamela Smith, acting police chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., during a news conference on Thursday.
“He got out of the room because one of the officers removed one of the handcuffs from the suspect,” Smith said. “The suspect was not secured, from my understanding, secured to the gurney.”
A murder suspect escaped from George Washington University Hospital on Wednesday because D.C. police officers did not secure one of his arms to a gurney as they changed his handcuffs, D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said. https://t.co/ELj8FeZ4oW
— Post Local (@postlocal) September 7, 2023
Smith explained when a suspect is in police custody and taken to the hospital, law enforcement officers “shall ensure that at least one arm or leg is secured to a fixed object at all times.”
The MPD announced on Wednesday Haynes escaped custody while at George Washington University Hospital at 3:38 p.m., according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
ALERT: 31-year-old Christopher Haynes escaped custody at GW Hospital in 900 block of 23rd St NW at 3:38 p.m.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) September 6, 2023
He is described as a black male with shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a white suit with one red shoe. He is not handcuffed.
Do not engage, call 911 if spotted. pic.twitter.com/gFgPwJfXp4
Haynes was described as a “black male with shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a white suit with one red shoe,” according to the MPD’s statement.
George Washington University was put in a shelter-in-place status that was lifted around 8:15 p.m. The university advised students and staff to use “caution” when moving around even though law enforcement officials did not believe he was still in the area.
Smith explained Haynes, who lives in Gainesville, Virginia, is also known to hang around several locations in the District of Columbia and has ties to Virginia counties such as Prince William, Stafford, and Fauquier.
Haynes was charged in connection with the shooting of 33-year-old Brent Hayward who was shot on Aug. 12. He was arrested on Wednesday and was extradited to Washington.
This is not the first time a search for Haynes has happened, according to InsideNoVA. In August 2020, Haynes fled from police officers after attempting to run over officers from the bike team.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to Hayne’s arrest.