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Business Attire Aids Prisoner's Escape From Court!
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 30, 2009
Modified Oct 3, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 30, 2009
Modified Oct 3, 2009
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On the police scanners (now on Gothamist Newsmap), there have been multiple reports of an "escaped prisoner" from 100 Centre Street in lower Manhattan, which is the Criminal Court Building. Now it turns out that the prisoner escaped because he was dressed so well that he looked like a lawyer!
The Daily News reports that Ronald Tackman, 55, "was 'impeccably dressed' in a jacket and tie when he arrived for a pre-trial hearing on the 13th floor, the source said. Somehow, Tackman managed to sneak down two flights to a holding area for prisoners awaiting trial - and where a court officer mistook him for a lawyer." The officer asked, "Counselor, what are you doing here?" and let him go! Some more detail on the "somehow"—1010 WINS reveals that Tackman wandered out of an open jail cell.
The Post says, "Surveillance footage showed that he exited undetected through the north lobby at 100 Centre Street, probably confused for a lawyer or courthouse employee because he was donning a suit."
Tackman is, according to his lawyer, "a very intelligent man." Tackman, who is facing life sentences for numerous robbery charges because of his priors, is considered a "legend" by some for his many prison escape attempts. From the News:
In September 1985, Tackman was described as an "escape artist" by a corrections official after he tried to shoot his way out a prison van using a rubber-band powered zip gun fashioned out of metal tubing and a comb.
Tackman tried to take over the van as it was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge bound for Manhattan criminal court by firing two pellets that just missed hitting the corrections officers. He gave up when the guards pulled their guns.
In an earlier escape attempt, Tackman briefly took over another prison van by brandishing a "extremely realistic" but bogus gun carved out of soap.
Tackman made the guards stop the van and throw out their guns. Then he forced them to get in the back, where he locked them up with the other prisoners.
Plus, a source says, "He is the quintessential average-looking white guy. No distinguishing features or marks." No one will ever find him! But if you're looking, he's described as "about 150 pounds, with short black hair, blue eyes, and wearing a light colored three piece suit."
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100 Centre Street
business suit
escape
lawyer
prisoner
ronald tackman
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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