BEDFORD — A Mitchell man was taken into custody on November 5, after allegedly attempting to escape custody while being transported from a courtroom to a transport van at the Lawrence County Courthouse.
Gage Stout, 27, of Mitchell, faces three criminal charges following the incident, including a Level 5 Felony for attempted escape, battery of a public safety officer, and resisting arrest.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by LCPD Sgt. Ronnie Blackburn, the incident occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. in Superior Court 1. Stout had just been sentenced to the Department of Corrections and was being taken into custody.
Due to a previous surgery, Stout was wearing an arm splint and bandages on his right arm, preventing the officer from placing a cuff on that hand. Sgt. Blackburn secured Stout’s left hand to his back belt loop. During the initial cuffing process, Stout reportedly attempted to pull away several times.
Sgt. Blackburn then escorted Stout out of the courtroom, using an alternate route through the probation department due to construction blocking the normal exit.
As they walked down the steps outside toward the transport van, Sgt. Blackburn noticed Stout’s arm tense up. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Stout allegedly tried to pull away from the officer and then attempted to spin around, kicking Sgt. Blackburn in the leg in the process.
According to the arrest affidavit, while struggling to get away and evade the officer’s grasp, Stout allegedly removed his pants in an attempt to free his cuffed left arm. During the struggle, Sgt. Blackburn’s department-issued body camera was knocked off and fell to the ground.
To regain control, Sgt. Blackburn kneed Stout in the stomach area with his left knee, causing both men to fall to the ground. Sgt. Blackburn was able to restrain Stout, holding him on the ground with his department-issued taser pointed at Stout’s lower back, and informing him that he would be tased if he did not comply.
With the assistance of Court Security Officer Danny Irwin, Stout was finally placed in the transport van and taken to jail.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
