WZEP...
It was a long weekend for lawmen, but longer for Louisiana escapee Christopher Stringer as he evaded capture for two days in the thick woods and marshes of south Walton.
However, with the patience of a master chessman, Walton County deputies turned up the pressure on Stringer and he made a mistake. Deputies captured Stringer Saturday night around 8:30 PM after a 48 hour manhunt.
Stringer and two other inmates escaped from the Tensas Parish Louisiana jail Thursday, stole a car in Mississippi and headed for the Gulf Coast.
Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. says things got serious when one of his deputies spotted the trio in a stolen car Thursday night in South Walton. Adkinson said deputies gave chase and the three suspects wrecked their vehicle. One suspect was captured and the other two bailed out on foot.
A short time later, they stole another vehicle and deputies disabled it with spike strips. They caught one more but Stringer took to the swamp.
Sheriff Adkinson said his officers had Stringer contained in a wooded area when a Bay County deputy saw him trying to make it to the beach. Sheriff Adkinson said he was “wore out” and offered little resistance.
Sheriff’s helicopters also kept the pressure on flying over the area searching for the two days.
While social media can play an important role, another tool law enforcement used during the manhunt was the Reverse 911 System. Sheriff Adkinson said it and a close public support was vital.
The Sheriff spoke to the escape moments after he was captured. “He said he was depressed and didn’t want to go back to jail. He just made things a whole lot worse,” said Adkinson.
Stringer had 2 years left on a 5 year sentence for Grand Theft Auto in Louisiana. The facility Stringer and his two accomplices escaped from have had several escapes recently. The Tensas Parish Jail warden has refused to comment.
Stringer will face a judge on Wednesday and be extradited back to Louisiana.
Sheriff Adkinson expressed his appreciation for the public’s help and cooperation during the operation
We’ll have a one-on-one interview with Sheriff Adkinson Friday morning at 8:45 AM on WZEP AM 1460.