A prison inmate who escaped from a Laurel hospital was being supervised by only one correctional officer after his partner took a break and left him alone, police said yesterday.
The state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is also investigating why Kelvin D. Poke was not wearing handcuffs when he overpowered two officers, took their guns and fled in a stolen vehicle Wednesday, setting off a manhunt that ended with his death seven hours later in a police shootout in a Prince George's County cemetery. State leaders said yesterday that they are "seriously" re-examining whether correctional officers should be armed when standing watch over inmates during hospital visits. This week's incident was the second inmate escape from Laurel Regional Hospital in the past two months and came two years after a correctional officer in Hagerstown was killed by an inmate who snatched his gun.
Officials say two correctional officers are assigned to inmates taken to hospitals and must stay with them at all times: one who is unarmed and stays close to the prisoner, and another who is armed and watching the inmate. Such an arrangement is designed to keep the weapon out of reach of the inmate.
Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman, said yesterday that an officer assigned to watch Poke had "stepped out of the immediate area on a break." Poke then attacked an armed officer and took his .38-caliber pistol.
An officer assigned to another inmate heard the commotion and ran into the room. Poke pointed the gun at the officer's head and stole his weapon, before shooting off his shackles, taking a security guard hostage and bolting down a stairwell.
Rick Binetti, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said he could not discuss whether the correctional officers were in violation and if so, whether they would be reprimanded.
"When things like this happen, the majority of times it's because proper procedures weren't followed," he said. "The department is still actively investigating this incident, and it will take disciplinary action if it is deemed necessary."
Officers do not carry guns inside prisons, and some union officials say that guards should not carry weapons in unsecured facilities such as hospitals. State officials said they want to discuss possible changes.
"We've reached out to the union, and they will be at the table and involved in discussions about policies as it relates to armed [correctional officers]," Binetti said.
