Friday, October 21, 2011

Investigation into escape?

A headline on Page 1 of today's Northwest Herald reads, "Burglary suspect's escape still under investigation."

Well, I would hope so. And it ought to be conducted by an outside agency. And it won't be.

Let's start with these questions:

* Who were the first deputies at the scene where Henson was found?
* Did any deputies arrive who were not assigned by radio?
* If a non-assigned deputy did arrive (early? fast? first?), did he inform the dispatcher that he was close and would/could respond? Did he get supervisor approval to respond?
* Did any deputy arrive who was not in uniform and in his personal vehicle? If so, how did he learn of the radio call?
* Were any weapons drawn at the time Henson was found on late Wednesday afternoon?
* If, as the paper says, deputies responded at 5:54PM, what was the delay in transporting Henson to the Jail? He escaped at 7:39PM.
* Were the handcuffs put on snugly, hands behind his back, and double-locked?
* Had Henson's seatbelt been fastened?
* How was Henson secured in the back seat of the squad car that allowed him to kick out the window of the left rear door?
* How did he squeeze through the broken-out window? Head first? Feet first? Why didn't the deputy grab him as he exited the vehicle?
* How did the deputy alert dispatch that Henson was attempting to escape or that he had escaped? Were radio communications conducted in a professional manner?
* Was Henson actually burglarizing the barn, or was he looking for a place to get in out of the cold for the night?
* How did Henson get the handcuffs off? The paper said Henson was not wearing the handcuffs when taken in custody on Thursday morning.
* Where did procedures break down that NIXLE was not used Wednesday night?

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