Accused murderer Christopher Haynes was caught Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, after seven weeks on the lam. He escaped police custody on Sept. 6 at a Washington D.C. hospital. (Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department)
A murder suspect who assaulted a police officer while in custody and escaped was caught Thursday after seven weeks on the lam, Washington police said.
Christopher Haynes, 30, was initially arrested on a murder charge on Sept. 6 by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force for the Aug. 12 killing of Brent Hayward. Haynes complained of ankle pain and was taken to the George Washington University Hospital for treatment.
Around 3:38 p.m., while officers were changing out Haynes’ handcuffs at the hospital to cuff one hand to a gurney, Haynes assaulted the officer and ran away with one handcuff attached to his right wrist, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release.
Two officers chased him, but Haynes got away — at least for a while.
On Thursday, the U.S. Marshal’s Service found Haynes on Iverson Street in Oxon Hill, Maryland, 11 miles from the hospital he escaped from. Authorities declined to say how they found him, the Washington Post reported.
Hayward’s mother, Shelia Jackson, told WTOP she was relieved her son was found.
“A weight has been lifted. It’s a weight off me. It’s a weight off my family. We were losing confidence in the federal government that they would catch him,” she said.
The FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Haynes’ capture, which was increased to $30,000 on Sept. 13. It’s unclear if anyone will receive the money.
“MPD extends deep gratitude to the members of the community who assisted in providing information regarding Haynes’ whereabouts,” the press release said.
Haynes now faces murder and escape charges.
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