Sammy Bates Jr.
TUSCUMBIA-Police Chief Tony Logan released a statement concerning the escape and subsequent capture of an inmate from the Tuscumbia Jail on Monday, July 11:
“On the afternoon of July 11, 2022 at approximately 4:40 pm an inmate broke free from the booking officer and made it out of the building avoiding apprehension. Immediate notifications and BOLOs were issued to surrounding counties and cities. The Tuscumbia Special Operations Group(TSOG) was activated along with our bloodhound Eli to begin the search.
Sammy Bates Jr. age 18 of Tuscumbia was in the Tuscumbia City Jail on a misdemeanor Trespassing 3rd warrant. He was in the booking area making a phone call to a family member requesting that they would bring the $500 cash bond necessary for him to be released or provide a bonding company with necessary $85 to bond him until his court date. The family member asked to speak with the correctional offer and as he reached for the phone the suspect pushed passed him and made it out the short distance to the outside of the building.
Recent efforts to further secure the jail area have not been completed as the necessary parts to make the physical structural improvement are backordered. We will be moving forward as swiftly as possible to make these improvements. A thorough investigation into the circumstances how he escaped will conducted by investigators with the Tuscumbia Police Department.
Due to the escape from custody, Mr. Bates will now face Escape 2nd Degree. He was taken into custody without incident by the Tuscumbia Special Operations Group(TSOG), criminal investigations and the on-duty patrol shift.
I want to thank our sworn and civilian employees as well as the other agencies that assisted with this investigation and the long hours worked.
Tony Logan
Chief of Police Tuscumbia Police Department”
