The subject of a brief manhunt was found Wednesday submerged in a drainage ditch with his nose sticking out of the water for air, Florence Police Maj. Carlos Raines said.
Williard Ray Dement Jr., 27, was arrested a second time after he manage to escape from a police car while handcuffed, he said.
The incident happened about 6 p.m. at the Magnolia Mall when police received a call about a suspicious person.
Officers soon discovered the man was wanted in North Carolina for receiving stolen goods. The suspect’s hands were cuffed behind his back in the patrol car, but he manage to contort his body to the point where his hands were in front.
“Some people can do that if they are flexible,” Raines said.
The arresting officer noticed and pulled the car over to readjust the handcuffs, but the suspect broke away and fled.
Police searched an area near the old Wal-Mart and called in canines to track the suspect.
Canine officer Tracker picked up the suspect’s scent and found him in a drainage ditch, still handcuffed with his nose sticking out, Raines said. “It’s something you see in Rambo. ... It didn’t work, and he was arrested.”
Dement was taken to the Florence County Detention Center in Effingham where he awaits a bond hearing.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement