Video released Thursday shows the dramatic escape of an inmate from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Men’s Central Jail earlier this month.
Surveillance camera footage obtained by the KFI AM 640 radio station shows a man assaulting several deputies on his way out of the prison’s visiting area.
The man, identified as 22-year-old Christian Paulk, plants a flying kick to the upper torso of one deputy and then shoves a second deputy as he runs through an open doorway.
Paulk can then be seen climbing the prison’s chain-link fence and running across a set of railroad tracks, beating an oncoming train. The inmate was reportedly injured during his escape.
Experts who spoke to CBS Los Angeles said that officers are trained not to use their weapons inside the visiting area, even in an escape, for fear of hurting innocent bystanders.
Deputies reportedly caught up with Paulk just minutes after his escape. Sheriff’s Department Assistant Sheriff Over Custody Terri McDonald confirmed KFI that deputies did exactly what they were supposed to do in exercising restraint in a civilian area and waiting until Paulk was clear of the jail to re-arrest him.
Paulk was reportedly awaiting trial on robbery charges and had been incarcerated since February.
The Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that a “comprehensive security assessment” of all L.A. County jail visiting facilities was being conducted.
Check out the footage of the dramatic escape above.
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