Apr. 9--Authorities continued the search late Tuesday for a Cook County Jail inmate who overpowered a guard at Stroger Hospital and escaped in a waiting vehicle.
Kirk Davis, 27, who was being held in lieu of $160,000 bail on aggravated robbery charges, was brought to the Near West Side hospital Tuesday morning for a "scheduled treatment," said Penny Mateck, spokeswoman for Cook County sheriff's police. He arrived at the hospital shackled and using crutches, but once inside most of his restraints were removed.
Davis was being escorted from the registration area to a treatment area by a corrections officer when he "overpowered the officer, ran outside, got into a vehicle a few blocks away and fled the area," Mateck said.
One of his arms was still shackled to a crutch when he fled, officials said. Davis had been in custody since March 13.
A witness who gave chase said Davis was "running like he was in the Olympics," despite the crutches and a leg bandage.
The witness, a 37-year-old off-duty security guard who didn't want to be identified, said he was in the emergency room just before 9:30 a.m. when he noticed Davis fleeing.
The witness said he ran after Davis and once outside yelled to two other nearby officers that an escape was in progress. All three gave chase, he said. Davis ran for two or three blocks before jumping into a gray or silver vehicle that apparently was waiting for him at Harrison Street and Ogden Avenue, the witness said. A woman was driving, he said.
Copyright (c) 2008, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
