Police in Maryland are searching for a convict who escaped from the custody of correctional officers in Howard County Friday morning.
David M. Watson II was arriving from Wicomico County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore at a state hospital facility in Howard County when he escaped from corrections officers and ran into nearby woods, the Baltimore Sun reported.
According to officials, both helicopter and K-9 units are assisting in the search for the 28-year-old man, who is not believed to be armed.
In a news conference held this afternoon, Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said it was unclear if Watson had planned the escape or if it was an impulsive decision. Ms. Llewellyn also added that it was unclear if he had any contacts in the area where he escaped.
Watson is serving a 106-year sentence in Delaware stemming from an attempted murder conviction, but had been remanded to the custody of Wicomico County officials in a case involving the attempted murder of police officers there.
In 2015, a judge declared Watson incompetent to stand trial for the attempted murder of Wicomico police officers.
Watson’s transport Friday morning to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup was in order to obtain a regular follow-up psychiatric evaluation, the Annapolis Capital reported.
