Burglary Suspect Jumps from a Dayton Police Cruiser
DAYTON, Ohio Watch as a suspect in Ohio reaches his arm out of a police car window, unlocks the door and goes tumbling out onto the street.
Officers quickly took Eric Simmons, 42, into custody and hand cuffed him. The police were driving about 15 to 20 mph when he dove out of the car.
Dayton Police Asst. Chief Bob Chabali said Simmons was picked up by officers after he was wanted in connection with a burglary on Aug 27.
When he was placed in the police car, veteran officer Adam Sharp and new officer Douglas Gresham failed to put handcuffs on Simmons while transporting him to the police department.
They also left the back window down.
Asst. Chief Chabali said suspects should always be handcuffed when being transported.
The only time that people are not handcuffed is if they are a witness to a crime and just being taken in for questioning.
Simmons was considered a dangerous suspect with a criminal past.
Just two days before his arrest, officers sprinted to the scene of a burglary with guns drawn on Lindale Avenue.
Police said Simmons took off from the scene in a pickup. As he drove away, he reached under the seat.
The officer thought he was reaching for a weapon and fired a shot. Simmons was never hit and got away that time.
But his luck ran out the early morning of Aug. 29 when his foiled plan to escape came to a rolling end.
