Sheriff's Office searching for escaped inmate
By Staff Reports
Published in News on April 13, 2017 9:38 AM
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Perkins
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Update ---- At 10:08 a.m. officials released a correction to the escaped inmate's name. He is Joseph Doyle Perkins. Perkins was not the driver of the gold Ford Fusion with a cracked windshield that he initially took off in. Deputies do not yet have a description of the driver and are concentrating efforts on locating Perkins now. They believe he is contained to a mile-and-a-half to 2-mile radius. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office helicopter is flying over the area.
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said that over the two years the roadside garbage pick-up detail has been in existence, more than 30,000 bags of trash have been collected without any issues such as today's escape.
"These inmates have represented good behavior, so that's how they've been able to participate in the trash collection program," he said.
Ken Derksen, communications director for Wayne County Public Schools said Brogden Primary, Brodgen Middle School and Southern Wayne High School each remain on soft lockdown until further notice.
"We are keeping in contact with law enforcement," Derksen said.
Update ---- At 9:52 a.m. the latest reports suggest that deputies believe they might have Perkins, the escaped inmate, contained. K-9 units are closing in.
Initial report ---- The Wayne County Sheriff's Office confirmed at 9:30 a.m. that deputies are searching for an inmate who walked away from a roadside clean up this morning in the area of Old Grantham Road.
Officials say the inmate, Joseph Perkins, a white male described as 5-feet, 9-inches tall and last seen wearing orange clothing, jumped into a gold car which then ran the intersection at Durham Lake Road and O'berry Road. He hopped out of the car and then fled.
Brogden Primary School and Southern Wayne High School have been placed on lockdown.
Deputies have swarmed the area and are actively searching for the man with the assistance of the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
Citizens calling into the newsroom report seeing numerous deputies, estimated at more than 30, armed with rifles walking a long a wooded area off of U.S. 11t Bypass at Dudley. One woman said her son was nearly "blown off the road" by troopers responding to the area.
This is a developing story. Additional details will be provided as more information becomes available.