Guard kills fleeing inmate in Aberdeen

Published 7:36 pm Friday, October 21, 2011

ABERDEEN — A 40-year-old county jail inmate was fatally shot after he fled naked from an Aberdeen hospital visit and attacked a nearby worker had attempted suicide hours earlier.

Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott told KXRO the man tried to hang himself with a makeshift rope in his jail cell Thursday night. The Daily World reported that the man was being treated at Grays Harbor Community Hospital for injuries related to the suicide attempt when he tore off his hospital gown and fled Friday afternoon, pursued by his jail guard.

Aberdeen police Capt. Dave Johnson said the inmate grabbed a woman in a nearby parking lot and was attacking her with a sharp object when the county corrections officer shot him. Johnson said the woman was not seriously hurt.

The newspaper said the inmate had been arrested for investigation of property crimes. The Ocean City man was not immediately identified.

The corrections officer has been put on administrative leave.