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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Liam Buckler

Man runs from police custody and drowns after jumping into pond while wearing handcuffs

A naked man ran from police custody and drowned after jumping into a pond while wearing handcuffs.

Tulsa Police Department were called at 4am on Thursday after reports of an unidentified suspect throwing a brick through Shoreline Apartment Homes in Oklahoma.

When officers arrived at the clubhouse the man was found completely naked inside and he was immediately arrested.

After placing the suspect under arrest cops went about trying to find the man's clothes to help protect his dignity as he 'remained cooperative.'

Whilst police eventually found the man's clothes, which were soaking wet, officers attempted to dry them off.

But as cops were trying to deal with the suspect he 'made a break for it,' officials said.

The man's body was located at around 9am by divers (newson6)

The man kicked the back door of the clubhouse and made a run for it as he jumped over the patio's railing.

He then launched himself into a nearby pond which is positioned behind the building.

The suspect continued to get deeper and deeper into the pond as cops followed him into the water to try and rescue him.

However, according to the police department, officers 'in challenging conditions' became concerned when the man went under water and did not reappear.

The Tulsa Police Dive Team were called in after the suspect went under but as the water was unclear the team found it difficult to locate the man in 10ft of water.

The pond where the man jumped into naked whilst wearing handcuffs (newson6)

According to police there was 'little to no visibility' for the divers as the man drowned after several hours of searching.

Richard Meulenberg, from Tulsa Police Department, said: "For someone who is in custody to decide to A run from the police, to begin with, and B kick open a door, jump over a railing, into a pond, yes it’s tragic.

"They go under the water looking for him, they saw him in the water, tried to get further in, and with all their gear and everything else, couldn’t find the suspect at that point.

Cops followed him into the water but the man drowned (newson6)

“You gotta remember, it’s pitch dark, and officers were out there literally trying to feel around, so when they jumped into the water, they could see him go down."

His body was recovered just after 9am as police informed his family of the tragic news.

Cops said: "They made a valiant effort, but the suspect went under the water and did not resurface."

The Tulsa Police Department's Facebook relayed the story on their Facebook page and were hit by comments by social media users.

Over 1,700 people have since reacted on the post with many expressing confusion and anger at how the man escaped.

More than 900 people have with emotions ranging from sadness to scepticism over the tragic incident.

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