Authorities from Washington, DC, have announced a $30,000 reward in a bid to seal the capture of the homicide suspect Christopher Haynes. The 30-year-old’s audacious escape from hospital custody sparked an exhaustive week-long manhunt.
The fugitive managed to slip away from the custody of DC Metropolitan Police Department last Wednesday. He reportedly fled from a hospital, despite the handicap of one handcuff being wrapped around his wrist. This prompted a sharply increased influx of possible sightings and potential leads for the police department.
The alleged escape transpired mere hours following Haynes’ initial arrest. Police suspected him in the murder of Brent Hayward, who was 33 years old. Reports state that while Haynes was under process, he mentioned an ankle soreness due to a pre-existing condition. Consequently, he was transported for treatment to the George Washington University Hospital.
The dramatic escape occurred when an officer moved to secure Haynes’s wrist to a hospital gurney. Haynes allegedly seized the moment to physically assault the officer and race from the hospital, outsmarting two officers who pursued him. Security footage released by law enforcement portrays Haynes leaping over a towering gate near the hospital, landing into a backyard, and subsequently glancing back through the fence.
Haynes’ audacious flight initiated an extensive search by multiple agencies and brought about provisional road closures near the White House as a cautionary measure. The George Washington University campus also issued a brief shelter-in-place order.
Official warnings suggest that anyone found aiding Haynes in any capacity will face criminal charges. While it remains uncertain if Haynes is armed, an emergency alert disseminated soon after his flight warns the public to exercise caution, as Haynes is designated as potentially armed and dangerous.
Authorities describe Haynes as a Black male, sporting shoulder-length dreadlocks, bearing a tattoo of the Washington Nationals insignia on his neck. He was seen sporting a black shirt, gray shorts, one red shoe, and black handcuffs securing his wrist at the time of his disappearance.
In the extensive manhunt, federal agencies and local units including the US Secret Service and the US Park Police are collaborating. Acting Chief of Police Pamela Smith confirms the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau has opened a probe into the baffling circumstances surrounding how Haynes managed to break free from custody.
