Sheriff: Inmate trying to escape Whatcom Co. Jail exposes aging jail infrastructure
Sheriff: Inmate trying to escape Whatcom Co. Jail exposes aging jail infrastructure
Authorities say an inmate with a history of attacking officers and trying to slip from custody was busted again Tuesday trying to break out of Whatcom County Jail.
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Authorities say an inmate with a history of attacking officers and trying to slip from custody was busted again Tuesday trying to break out of Whatcom County Jail.
According to the sheriff's office, 23-year-old Christian Dillard was being held in a high-security unit in the jail when he kicked his cell door, causing a mechanical failure that opened the door, and he escaped into an outer security area. Corrections officers were called in and tried to convince Dillard to return to his cell, but he refused and continued kicking the lock to the hallway door in an attempt to escape.
After an hour, an emergency response team entered and moved Dillard to a safety cell.
"Mr. Dillard is an extremely dangerous and violent inmate," said Sheriff Bill Elfo. "This breach is just one more example of a long series of failures involving jail infrastructure and security systems and illustrates that retrofits to the deteriorating jail facility cannot be relied upon. I have requested that the County Facilities Department, which is responsible for maintaining the jail, carefully inspect all locking mechanisms to help prevent a recurrence of this nature."
The lock to Dillard's particular cell was replaced in 2020 due to the "age and failure rate" of locks and doors at the jail.
The sheriff's office says Dillard was booked into jail on May 21 for second-degree burglary and second-degree malicious mischief. He was released on June 9 for treatment, but he never went to it. He was taken back into custody on June 10 on charges of escaping community custody and third-degree assault—an instance that left a corrections deputy with a "debilitating traumatic brain injury," according to the sheriff. It was followed by a first-degree criminal trespass charge shortly after. On June 13, Dillard reportedly used a telephone to break the security glass on his cell door, earning him another malicious mischief charge.
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Elfo said he is suspending all public tours and non-essential visits until the County Facilities Department evaluates all the locking mechanisms and doors.