State admits lapse allowed inmate escape
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
A massive search continued today in New Bedford for a prisoner -- accused of raping a teenager and a disabled elderly adult -- who escaped Tuesday from court officers in a hospital bathroom.
Anthony Flye, 38, was being treated Tuesday at St. Luke's Hospital after he jumped head first over a banister at New Bedford Superior Court and fell almost a full story in a failed escape attempt. A court officer guarding Flye at the hospital took off his handcuffs and allowed him to use a bathroom, where he slipped out a back door.
Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson criticized the state court system today because he said the officers allowed Flye to make a phone call from the hospital. Hodgson also said it took an hour before the sheriff’s office was notified that Flye had escaped and that court officials were not initially communicative about what happened.
“There are a lot of questions we need answered,” Hodgson said. “We are not interested in finger pointing. We are interested in what protocols broke down, if any, and what we can do to correct this in the future.”
This afternoon the director of court officers agreed to meet with the sheriff "to make sure we have systems in place to prevent this from happening again," Hodgson said.
The state courts released a statement Wednesday night that said it appeared that proper protocol was not followed. Only one court officer accompanied Flye to the hospital when there should have been two.
"A full investigation of the reasons for deviation from the protocol and an inquiry into all other aspects of the incident is being conducted," the statement said. "The Security Department of the Trial Court is cooperating fully with law enforcement in seeking the capture of Anthony Flye."
When Flye escaped, he was wearing slippers, jeans, and a green hospital gown. He was spotted twice in downtown New Bedford Wednesday but eluded capture. He was last seen making a phone call at the YMCA at 1:30 p.m. and was wearing a change of clothes, Hodgson said.
Flye had been in custody since Feb. 15 and was being held on $500,000 bond. The Nantucket and Swansea resident is facing charges that include rape, indecent assault and battery, assault and battery on a disabled person over 60, statutory rape of a child, and enticing a child under age 16.
The search includes New Bedford police, State Police, the Bristol district attorney’s office, and others.
"We are pursuing leads in our county and beyond and following a series of tips," Hodgson said. "We’ve been working hard to try to contain him based on his last sighting."
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