LACONIA –– A pretrial inmate who escaped from the Belknap County Jail was back behind bars within 27 minutes, thanks to the concerted efforts of the Laconia Police Department and Belknap County Sheriff’s Office.
The escape occurred around 11:38 a.m., when the inmate managed to jump the jail fence and made his way toward North Main St. Upon receiving the notification, both law enforcement entities immediately sprang into action to locate the fugitive.
By 12:06 p.m., the escapee was located in the Clearwater area. In a desperate attempt to evade arrest, the inmate jumped into a lake and swam about 100 yards out.
However, Deputy Brian Warburton successfully negotiated a surrender, leading to the inmate’s arrest.
The escapee was medically treated before being returned to the jail, where he will remain in custody pending court proceedings.
Sheriff Bill Wright and Laconia Police Chief Canfield praised the swift and effective collaboration between their departments.
Wright said, “Excellent teamwork and common goals made for success! While on the scene, Chief Canfield and I enjoyed a ‘post chase’ conversation about how well our personnel collectively conducted this chase and the bad guy is back behind bars.”
