32-year-old Branden Powell escaped a transport vehicle back on August 4th after he was being treated at a mental institution and on his way back to the Paulding County Jail.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Authorities believe alleged rapist who escaped the Paulding County Jail may be dead - <a href="https://t.co/0GCi5LcMxv">https://t.co/0GCi5LcMxv</a> <a href="https://t.co/W9nwYPfZzU">pic.twitter.com/W9nwYPfZzU</a></p>— WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTOL11Toledo/status/894664625131794434">August 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Paulding was indicted last month on a rape charge, and during his detainment in the jail he sliced his own throat and was brought to Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital for medical treatment and a psychiatric evaluation.
According to the Sheriff's Office, a Deputy was transporting Branden Powell on August 4th back from a mental institution in Toledo to the Paulding County Jail.
However, during the ride, the Sheriff's Office says Powell attacked the Deputy and seized his gun before fleeing. Powell had been shackled and handcuffed in a van when he was able to maneuver over a row of seats and place the Paulding County Deputy in a headlock forcing the van to crash.
According to Sheriff Jason Landers, at about 6 PM Monday night, law enforcement officers determined Powell at his parents home in a rural area near Antwerp.
Officers tried to have Powell peacefully surrender and give up without an altercation. Unfortunately for all parties involved Powell took his own life with a gunshot wound.
"However, Powell did not comply with those efforts. Branden Lee Powell chose to take his own life by gunshot at approximately 9:30 PM,” Sheriff Landers said.
Sheriff Landers went on to say, "While this is not the outcome law enforcement had hoped for, law enforcement hopes the community can rest knowing this armed and dangerous individual is no longer a danger to the community.”
Several units responded to the scene of Powell’s mother and father's resident including the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Defiance Police Department, the FBI and US Marshals.
Landers also said, "I'm angry with myself. I take accountability for my office and the actions of my office.”
“There are a couple of things that I know could have prevented this issue from happening that are changes that we'll put in place immediately, administratively," Sheriff Landers said.
The investigation into Powell's death is still ongoing, but fortunately, the potential crime spree and danger to the community is now over.
Source:
http://www.10tv.com/article/escaped-rape-suspect-cornered-kills-himself-ohio-sheriff-says
