In Portland, an attempted murder suspect escaped from his holding cell after a crew hired to disinfect due to the coronavirus and accidentally left the door unlocked, police said.
What We Know:
- Authorities have been looking for David Dahlen, 24, since Saturday evening. Police said he escaped custody around 5:30 p.m., and they tried finding him following an “extended” search through the downtown district and monitored transit looking for him, but were unable to find him.
- “An effort to recapture Dahlen is underway. There is no reason to believe that he presents a direct threat to the neighborhood,” the Portland Police Bureau mentioned in a statement.
- Dahlen was originally captured around Saturday 1:30 p.m. local time, on a warrant for the attempted murder of a police officer on Christmas Eve just two days earlier. He’s accused of hitting the officer with a stolen pickup truck and then fleeing the scene, according to NBC affiliate KGW in Portland. The officer sustained a broken pelvis.
- Dahlen was brought to the Central Precinct and put in a holding room while detectives arranged to interview him, the bureau indicated.
- One of the cleaning crew members had opened the door to the cell to disinfect for Covid-19 properly but closed the holding cell door after noticing that it was occupied. Officials think that the door was not completely closed and left unlocked.
“Sometime after the cleaning crew members left, investigators think Dahlen pushed the door from the inside, found it to be unsafe, and got out,” police said. “Investigators think Dahlen found his way to a stairwell, which are unlocked for fire safety reasons, and exited the building.”
- Detectives noticed he was gone a few minutes after his escape. An effort is still underway to locate and recapture Dahlen. Detectives are asking for the community to keep a lookout and to call 911 if they see Dahlen.
Dahlen faces numerous charges, including first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, assaulting a public safety officer, unlawful use of a vehicle, and second-degree escape.
