Crisis Center escapee still missing Saturday
Police said Saturday that the Crisis Center patient who escaped from the facility Friday may turn himself in.
Patrick Carey — a 22-year-old Lancaster County Jail inmate — was being treated at the Crisis Center, 2201 S. 17th St., and ran away as a fire alarm sounded at about 9 a.m. Friday.
Family told Lincoln police Saturday they were trying to persuade Carey to turn himself in before officers find him, Sgt. Tom Hamm said.
The Crisis Center, on the second floor of the Lancaster County Community Mental Health Center, is a secured psychiatric facility for “acutely mentally ill” detainees, according to the Mental Health Center Web site.
Dean Settle, executive director of the Mental Health Center, said a patients have to be mentally ill and considered a danger to themselves or others to be admitted to the Crisis Center.
Lancaster County Corrections Director Mike Thurber said Carey spent the night at the Crisis Center Thursday after having a medical emergency earlier that day.
Inmates treated at the Crisis Center have “a hold placed on them” at the jail, Thurber said. “While at the Crisis Center, they would not be watched or be observed by my staff or by the department staff.”
Settle has asked the staff of the Crisis Center to compile an incident report, so he and other officials can review protocol.
He said staff at the Crisis Center got permission from jail staff to remove Carey from the building when the alarm sounded. A faulty smoke head triggered the alarm.
“From that point, my understanding is the staff then proceeded to take everyone ... to the parking lot immediately outside the building,” Settle said. “Even though it’s a holiday, we were fully staffed.”
There were at least five employees there, he said, and about 13 patients. None of the staff at the facility are armed, and Carey was not wearing shackles.
Carey took off running as soon as he was out the door, Settle said.
He fled the center wearing a white shirt and blue scrub pants, Police Capt. Dennis Duckworth said. Carey is described as 5 foot 7 inches tall, about 125 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
He was serving 12 months for third-degree sexual assault after he fondled a 17-year-old girl in March 2007. He received the maximum sentence for the charge.
“We’re telling our officers to consider him potentially dangerous,” Capt. Terrence Sherrill said.
Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7306 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.
Patrick Carey — a 22-year-old Lancaster County Jail inmate — was being treated at the Crisis Center, 2201 S. 17th St., and ran away as a fire alarm sounded at about 9 a.m. Friday.
Family told Lincoln police Saturday they were trying to persuade Carey to turn himself in before officers find him, Sgt. Tom Hamm said.
The Crisis Center, on the second floor of the Lancaster County Community Mental Health Center, is a secured psychiatric facility for “acutely mentally ill” detainees, according to the Mental Health Center Web site.
Dean Settle, executive director of the Mental Health Center, said a patients have to be mentally ill and considered a danger to themselves or others to be admitted to the Crisis Center.
Lancaster County Corrections Director Mike Thurber said Carey spent the night at the Crisis Center Thursday after having a medical emergency earlier that day.
Inmates treated at the Crisis Center have “a hold placed on them” at the jail, Thurber said. “While at the Crisis Center, they would not be watched or be observed by my staff or by the department staff.”
Settle has asked the staff of the Crisis Center to compile an incident report, so he and other officials can review protocol.
He said staff at the Crisis Center got permission from jail staff to remove Carey from the building when the alarm sounded. A faulty smoke head triggered the alarm.
“From that point, my understanding is the staff then proceeded to take everyone ... to the parking lot immediately outside the building,” Settle said. “Even though it’s a holiday, we were fully staffed.”
There were at least five employees there, he said, and about 13 patients. None of the staff at the facility are armed, and Carey was not wearing shackles.
Carey took off running as soon as he was out the door, Settle said.
He fled the center wearing a white shirt and blue scrub pants, Police Capt. Dennis Duckworth said. Carey is described as 5 foot 7 inches tall, about 125 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
He was serving 12 months for third-degree sexual assault after he fondled a 17-year-old girl in March 2007. He received the maximum sentence for the charge.
“We’re telling our officers to consider him potentially dangerous,” Capt. Terrence Sherrill said.
Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7306 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.
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