Latest news with #SheriffSusanHutson
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Inmate mistakenly released from same New Orleans jail where 10 others escaped
An inmate was mistakenly released last week from the same New Orleans jail that was the scene of a brazen breakout in May, officials said. Officials at an Orleans Parish correctional facility said they accidentally released 30-year-old Khalil Bryan, who was being held on a warrant for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion. He has a criminal history that includes burglary, assault and drug violations. The Orleans Parish sheriff said that Bryan's release was a clerical error because another inmate scheduled for release had a similar last name. "The mistaken release of Khalil Bryan was a serious error, and as sheriff, I take full responsibility," Sheriff Susan Hutson said during a news conference on Friday. "While our systems are designed to catch these discrepancies, human error led to a breakdown in the verification process." CBS affiliate WWL reported that Bryan was released shortly after 1 a.m. Friday. However, the public was not notified until later in the afternoon. It is still unclear when deputies realized their mistake and when the sheriff was notified, the station reported, citing sources. Hutson said an investigation has been launched into Bryan's release. "I want the public to know this should not have happened," she said. "It was a failure of internal processes, and the public has every right to expect better." Bryan was released from the same jail where 10 inmates escaped in May after ripping a toilet from the wall. All but one have been caught. The sheriff called that escape an "inside job," and more than a dozen people have been charged with aiding the escapees. A maintenance worker at the jail was arrested and accused of helping them escape. His lawyer said last week that he is being used as a scapegoat.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
New Orleans jail mistakenly releases violent offender due to 'human error'; investigation underway
A violent offender was mistakenly released from the Orleans Parish Jail due to a clerical error, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. The inmate, Khalil Bryan, was discharged Friday despite facing multiple charges. The office confirmed that an internal investigation is now in motion in a statement to WDSU. In the statement released by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Susan Hutson acknowledged the mistake and accepted responsibility. "The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office takes full responsibility for the clerical error that led to the mistaken release of Khalil Bryan, and we offer our sincere apology to the public, our law enforcement partners and the court. This incident was the result of human error: a misidentification based on a shared last name between two individuals. We are currently conducting a full internal investigation, and I can confirm that disciplinary actions will occur," Hutson said. "Mr. Bryan is facing violent and non-violent charges, and we are coordinating closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure his swift return to custody. Most importantly, the victims in these matters have been notified. We are implementing safeguards to prevent this from happening again. Public safety remains our highest priority." According to information from the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office and OPSO, Bryan was in custody for illegal possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer. He also had an active warrant from Criminal District Court Section H for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion. Bryan was also wanted in nearby Jefferson Parish and was being held on a $100,000 bench warrant for failure to appear, along with a separate $25,000 bond tied to recent felony PARISH SHERIFF BOASTED ABOUT JAIL SECURITY DAYS BEFORE 10 INMATES ESCAPED Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams issued a sharply worded statement after the mistaken release. "We have been made aware that inmate Khalil Bryan was wrongfully released from custody by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office earlier today due to a serious error in inmate processing," Williams said. "Despite those [bond] holds, Bryan was released in error when deputies, responding to a bond posted by an unrelated individual for another inmate, failed to properly verify identity and mistakenly discharged Bryan instead," the DA added. "This is a deeply troubling incident that underscores the ongoing systemic issues surrounding the exercise of custody and control over detained individuals. The failure to properly confirm the identity of an inmate prior to release is an unacceptable lapse that presents a real and immediate risk to public safety." "OPDA Victim Advocates have initiated victim outreach and will continue efforts until all victims and witnesses associated with Bryan's prosecution are reached. Where we are unable to make contact, we are dispatching investigators to ensure the affected victims and their families are notified and receive appropriate support. "The public deserves a justice system that operates with integrity, professionalism and vigilance, particularly when it comes to protecting victims." Hutson confirmed that all known victims have been notified. The District Attorney's Office said investigators are actively working to reach anyone who may not have been contacted, including through in-person visits if needed. This release comes 10 weeks after a high-profile escape from the same prison May 16, when 10 inmates fled from the Orleans Parish Jail. Nine were recaptured and pleaded not guilty earlier this week. One man, Derrick Groves, remains at large, according to court and OPSO HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Law enforcement is now working across parish lines to locate and detain Bryan. "We urge anyone with information about Khalil Bryan's whereabouts to immediately contact law enforcement," the District Attorney's Office Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office and Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
Violent offender released from New Orleans jail by 'human error': sheriff
Khalil Bryan was mistakenly released from Orleans Parish Jail on Friday, July 25, according to Sheriff Susan Hutson. (Credit: WVUE)
Washington Post
28-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
New Orleans jail, site of a brazen inmate escape, faces flooding and plumbing failures
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans jail that gained national attention for a brazen escape by 10 inmates earlier this month is experiencing 'significant flooding' from 'ongoing and severe plumbing failures,' the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office says. Embattled Sheriff Susan Hutson and her deputies have portrayed the bold jailbreak — one of the largest in recent U.S. history — as the result of an ailing facility in dire need of repairs and improvements such as replacing faulty locks .
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Associated Press
Men who escaped New Orleans jail had hourslong head start before staff knew they were gone
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly a week after 10 men escaped from a New Orleans jail by crawling through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a fence, five have been apprehended and five remain at large. Authorities believe sheriff's employees must have aided the escape, and three have been suspended. A jail maintenance man is the only person arrested so far and is accused of helping the prisoners. Here is a look at the timeline of events surrounding one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history: May 15 At 10:30 p.m., the jail is locked down per standard nighttime rules. May 16 About 12:20 a.m., prisoners yank open a cell door when the jail's lone guard is away getting food. The men escape through a hole cut behind a sink-toilet unit that they removed. Authorities haven't specified what tools were used to cut through steel bars or how the prisoners got them. At 1:01 a.m., surveillance video captures the 10 men sprinting out of the jail, throwing blankets over a barbed wire fence and scaling it. Some of the men are then seen running across an interstate. A head count at the jail generally starts around 6:30 a.m. and takes less than an hour. However, on this morning sheriff's officials are still verifying whether anyone had escaped more than two hours later, according to Jeworski 'Jay' Mallett, the jail's chief of corrections. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who oversees the jail, and Mallett say they are investigating why it took so long for staffers to identify and report that the men were missing. It's not clear exactly what time jail staff noticed the men were gone. Around 8:45 a.m., the jail goes on lockdown. About 45 minutes later the escape is 'officially reported' by Hutson to a law enforcement task force. Around 10:30 a.m., city and state police learn of the escape. New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says she learned of the jailbreak indirectly and not from the sheriff. At approximately 11:30 a.m., law enforcement officials hold a news conference about the escape. Around noon, Louisiana state police say they have apprehended escapee Kendall Myles, 20, in the city's French Quarter after a brief foot chase. He was identified by the city's network of facial recognition security cameras. Myles was in jail facing charges of attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery. Officials say he had twice escaped from juvenile custody. The sheriff says three jail employees have been suspended pending an investigation. It is not immediately clear whether any of the employees are suspected of helping with the escape. Officials also don't say if the employee who left to get food is among the three suspended. In the evening, escapees Robert Moody and Dkenan Dennis are apprehended separately in the city. Moody, 21, was being held on charges of illegal carrying of a weapon with narcotics, attempted second- degree battery and obstruction. Dennis, 24, was being held on charges including armed robbery with firearm and illegal carrying of a weapon during a crime of violence. May 19 A fourth escapee, Gary C. Price, 21, is taken into custody in New Orleans. He was originally held at the New Orleans jail on charges of first-degree murder, domestic abuse and aggravated assault. May 20 Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the jail, is arrested and held on $1.1 million bond. Williams is charged with 10 counts of principle to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office. Authorities say he has admitted he turned the water off in a cell before the men slipped away through the hole behind the toilet. They say he told investigators an inmate threatened to stab him if he didn't help. Michael Kennedy, Williams' appointed attorney, says 'we have every intention of entering a plea of not guilty.' State police confirm that Corey Boyd, 19, has been apprehended. Boyd was being held on second-degree murder charges. Hutson, the sheriff, temporarily suspends her reelection campaign, saying, 'Now is the time to focus on security, accountability and public safety.'
