Deputy Negligence Led to Florida Inmate's Escape

An internal investigation has revealed that a deputy was likely asleep when an inmate escaped from a Florida hospital. The inmate, Anthony Romine, faked an injury to escape and was later found hiding in bushes.

A Florida inmate was able to escape from custody last week after the deputy tasked with guarding him was "likely sleeping," according to authorities.

Anthony Romine, 29, was captured last week after faking an injury and escaping from law enforcement custody at a hospital in Florida. He was initially arrested on July 3 on a felony warrant for petty theft, violation of his pre-trial release, and counterfeiting.

Deputy Negligence Led to Florida Inmate's Escape

He was later taken to a hospital after claiming he fell, an injury that investigators eventually determined he had faked in an effort to escape and return to Ohio, where he is originally from, authorities said.

Flagler County Deputy Tyrique Harper was assigned to guard Romine at the hospital, but witnesses indicate that Harper was likely sleeping during the time of the escape, and the inmate was not properly restrained in accordance with policy, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Negligence Led to Florida Inmate's Escape

Harper resigned on Tuesday before the start of a formal internal investigation into the incident. He had been relieved of law enforcement duties immediately following the escape on July 27 while a preliminary review was being conducted.

The manhunt lasted about seven hours until a Flagler County Sheriff's K-9 team tracked Romine to a wooded area by a gas station in Flagler County. He was hiding underneath some foliage and underbrush, and video footage shows a K-9 dragging a screaming Romine out from the bushes.

Deputy Negligence Led to Florida Inmate's Escape

After Romine’s capture, felony escape was added to the list of charges against him, as well as battery on a law enforcement officer without violence.

Mark Strobridge, chief of staff of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, said that "Fortunately, Romine was apprehended, and no additional crimes were committed by him in his escape attempt."

Deputy Negligence Led to Florida Inmate's Escape

Strobridge emphasized that Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly expects all deputies to follow the office's policies, which includes not falling asleep on duty.

"Sheriff Staly expects all deputies will follow our policies and not sleep while on-duty," Strobridge said. "Our Agency motto is ‘An Honor to Serve, A Duty to Protect,’ and that did not occur in this incident by Deputy Harper."

The incident highlights the importance of proper supervision and adherence to protocols in law enforcement settings to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.