Escape attempt by handcuffed suspect foiled by Bowling Green police
1/1/2010BOWLING GREEN - Despite being handcuffed, a burglary suspect who allegedly got away from police yesterday managed to call a cab and nearly made it out of town.
Acting on a tip, officers pulled over a Black & White cab on East Wooster Street near South College Avenue about 9:40 a.m. and arrested Toledoan Anthony Braswell on charges of escape and attempted burglary. Braswell, 22, of 914 Oakwood Ave., still was wearing the handcuffs police had put on him earlier in the morning.
Deputy Chief Brad Conner said Braswell was in the lobby of the police station with an officer about 8:40 a.m. when the officer apparently turned his back long enough for the suspect to get away.
"We're going to do an internal investigation into what happened, and, yes, it would look as if an employee made an error," he said. "We're going to address it."
Police policy requires that suspects be handcuffed behind their backs, but Braswell was cuffed in front, Deputy Chief Conner said.
"It would appear as if we had an employee who violated our policy as far as being cuffed in front and having the gentleman unsecured in the lobby," he said.
The alleged escape followed an incident which began about 7:30 a.m. when a resident of the Cogan's Crossing subdivision off Bishop Road on Bowling Green's northwest side reported to police that she saw two men walk around her house and attempt to enter through the back door. She said the would-be intruders then drove off, and she gave police a description of their car.
Police stopped the car a short while later on North Grove Street where they arrested Braswell, who has previous convictions for burglary in Lucas County, and Mark A. Weaver, 21, of 3056 Chase St. Mr. Weaver, who was driving the car, was charged with complicity to burglary and driving under suspension.
Both men were being held in the Wood County jail pending arraignment in Bowling Green Municipal Court tomorrow.
Sgt. Alan Carsey, who made the initial stop of the suspects' car, was among the police officers and Wood County sheriff's deputies who fanned out in search of Braswell after his alleged escape.
"It was just a matter of when [he would be found] and hopefully no one was hurt in the process," he said.
A witness reported seeing Braswell get into the cab in front of the Corner Grill at North Main and Court streets. Sergeant Carsey said the cab driver came to Bowling Green from Toledo.
Contact Jennifer Feehan at:
jfeehan@theblade.com or
419-724-6129.