The prisoner wasn’t in restraints when he fled on foot.
FARMINGTON – Police converged on downtown Farmington at noon Thursday to quickly apprehend a man who escaped custody outside 12th District Court.
About a dozen officers in cruisers and on foot along with a tracking dog searched for Jonathan Nurse, 29, of Farmington who took off on foot as he and other prisoners went out a back door of the court to a county transport van to go to jail.
Franklin County Deputy Albert Smith had arrested Nurse at the court on a warrant for failure to pay fines, sheriff’s Lt. Niles Yeaton said.
Nurse was not in any restraints, Yeaton said, when he was going from the court to the van.
Deputy Aaron Turcotte said Nurse allegedly took off on foot running along downtown streets.
Sheriff’s Cpl. Nate Bean and his tracking dog, Ben, were following Nurse while county, state and Farmington police blocked off points of exit around Broadway, Main and Front streets.
People stepped outside buildings or peered through business windows to see what the commotion was about.
Nurse was spotted in several places as police pursued him.
He had headed to a ball field and cut across Front Street and allegedly attempted to enter a building but was unsuccessful, Turcotte said.
County Detective David St. Laurent spotted Nurse as he was behind Franklin Savings near Front Street, Turcotte said.
Turcotte, who saw St. Laurent draw his weapon from his holster, went over to help the detective.
Though St. Laurent held Nurse at gunpoint, the Farmington man who was then on his knees, was not listening to instructions to lay down on the ground, Turcotte said.
Turcotte said he ended up assisting Nurse to the ground.
After Nurse was restrained he was taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital to be checked out. He had a previous injury, Turcotte said.
In addition to failure to pay fines, Nurse was charged with escape and criminal mischief.
He was being held Thursday night at the jail on $500 cash bail on the escape charge and $290 bail set by the court for failure to pay fines, corrections officer Phil Porter said.
Farmington police officer Andrew Hufnagel summoned Nurse on a charge of criminal mischief for damage allegedly done while he was in a court holding cell prior to his escape, Yeaton said.
“It definitely was a great joint effort of state, county and local law enforcement,” Turcotte said of the quick apprehension.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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