A Texas inmate, identified as Timothy Chappelle, was caught after an unsuccessful attempt to flee the cops while being transported to a different detention facility. In a video released recently, Chappelle is seen running from cops after busting out of a police van that was transporting him to another prison facility.
The clip, filmed by a woman and posted on TikTok, shows Chappelle in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs running through a parking lot at a strip mall. He then hops over a fence while an officer runs after the inmate.
According to reports, the woman who was filming recorded several videos that also showed Chappelle's subsequent arrest after being caught.
Texas inmate's prison van stopped at a red light
Authorities confirmed that a Texas inmate, Timothy Chappelle, tried to escape from a prison van, transporting him to another prison detention facility when the vehicle was stopped at a red light on Gentry Parkway. Chappelle, who was initially arrested on criminal mischief charges, reportedly kicked out the metal grate and the passenger side window before jumping out of the van.
According to Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith, the inmate was being transferred from a low-risk facility to the main facility downtown at the time of the incident.
The inmate’s escape, captured in a series of videos in a parking lot near a strip mall, has garnered millions of views. One of the multiple videos on TikTok showed Chappelle being apprehended on the front lawn of a house after he broke into two private residences while fleeing the cops. KLTV reported that the inmate broke into two homes, one of which was occupied at the time.
Texas inmate tried to hitch a ride shortly after escaping from a prison transport van
My Sanantonio reported that the inmate reportedly tried to hitch a ride from a truck driver while attempting to flee from the cops. A video from TikTok user chadroo76 showed the user following the escaped inmate in his truck as Chapelle ran around the neighborhood evading capture.
The driver of the truck reportedly warned Chapelle that he would be caught after moving close to him. Chappelle then responded by asking for a ride. The inmate being filmed in the video can be heard responding to the driver:
"I know man. Give me a ride.”
The driver reportedly refused to comply, saying:
"Hell no!"
Authorities said that the Texas inmate originally incarcerated in the Smith County Jail on a minor charge will now face additional charges for escaping prison transport. Chappelle’s new charges will include an escape charge and two charges of burglary of a habitation.
Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said that the transport van’s poor fits were to blame for the incident.