Law enforcement locates escaped inmate in Rutherford County

By JOSEPH WENZEL, MARISSA SULEK, TORRENCE BANKS, MARY ALICE ROYSE, COURTNEY ALLEN

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    MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (WSMV) — Law enforcement told News4 that an inmate who escaped from police custody on Interstate 24 in Rutherford County had been located by authorities on Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials said Christopher Taylor, 24, of Cleveland, was behind bars Wednesday night after the inmate escaped custody on I-24 in Murfreesboro.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Taylor escaped after being transported by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office near mile marker 81 in Murfreesboro. Around 3:30 p.m., authorities located Taylor at the Knight’s Inn in Murfreesboro.

According to the Benton County Sheriff, Taylor had been transported to Benton County but was sent back to Bradley County for violation of probation issues. While in transport Wednesday afternoon, he began kicking the cage that runs between the two seats in a patrol car.

After kicking out the cage, the sheriff said that Taylor moved towards the corrections officer transporting him. The officer then reached for his taser and attempted to tase Taylor. However, the officer missed Taylor.

After the officer pulled over, Taylor escaped from the vehicle’s front door. He then ran towards the Cracker Barrel near that exit.

The corrections officer suffered a wrist injury, and EMS transported the officer to St. Thomas Rutherford county. Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher said the corrections officer is 19 years old and just a few months into the job but did everything right.

“I don’t know of anything from what I am being told that we could have made any difference that would make any difference. Unless we had maybe two officers in the car,” Christopher said. “We all know in Tennessee right now, and across the nation, everyone in law enforcement is short of manpower.”

The escaped inmate on I-24 in Murfreesboro ended right behind Thomas Brown’s work.

“It was a movie,” Brown said. “You don’t expect something like that to actually happen.”

Brown said surveillance from the car repair company he works at shows inmate Christopher Taylor jumping the fence behind the business near the Knights Inn and running into the woods. As he and other employees watched, Brown said that they realized Taylor never came back out.

“Finally, we had a couple of officers come in and said that we can see he never leaves this wooded area,” Brown said. “We told them to check it. Two officers finally went back into the woods, and within five minutes, they had him in custody.”

That is exactly where law enforcement found him. Two Murfreesboro County Sheriff’s sergeants noticed a manhole cover misplaced, opened it, and saw the inmate.

“When we found out it was like, that is actually what happened,” Brown said.

“Our concern is for people and ensuring they are safe and no harm comes to any of our citizens,” Fitzhugh said. “That is why we commit so much manpower in taking someone into custody as soon as possible.”

Authorities charged Taylor with attempted carjacking, felony theft, aggravated assault, and escape. He is now being held at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center while awaiting a general sessions court hearing.

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