Trending
LISBON -- Jail officials believe the inmate who assaulted an EMT before escaping from the ambulance taking him to an area hospital deliberately injured himself.
County Jail Warden Mike Curley said William Swagger, 24, also likely faked having a seizure on Monday, the day before he walked up the stairs to the second level of his cellblock, went over the railing and fell onto the concrete floor about eight feet below.
The surveillance video viewed by this reporter shows Swagger lingering briefly at the railing before he flipped over the side on Tuesday. As Swagger fell, he held onto the railing with one hand and momentarily grabbed the railing with his other hand as he continued his descent.
Swagger landed on his tailbone and back but not before his tailbone first struck a metal table seat bolted to the floor. Corrections officers and medical staff can be seen rushing to the scene, and Curley said they recommended Swagger be transported to a hospital for further examination.
Swagger later assaulted an EMT before jumping out of the ambulance as it began to turn north onto state Route 11 at the Lisbon interchange. He was captured Wednesday near his hometown of New Castle, Pa.
Curley said Swagger fell to the floor and appeared to have a seizure on Monday. The surveillance camera shows him placing his one arm across his chest as he fell and then appearing to hold his other hand to brace for impact. He then began to shake as inmates and staff ran to his aid.
Swagger claimed to have medical history of seizures but Curley said the medical staff examined him and took his vitals and they concluded he did not have a medical episode.
"We've had seizures and when you have a seizure you don't stick out your arm to break your fall. You just drop over," he said.
Swagger had been booked into the jail on Monday on drunk driving charges and various traffic offenses in this county. Staff then learned there was a hold on Swagger from the Struthers Police Department in Mahoning County, where he was wanted on misdemeanor drug charges and traffic offenses.
County Municipal Court ordered that Swagger be released on bond on the local charges. Before arrangements could be made for Struthers police to take Swagger into custody, he went over the railing.
Curley said the county sheriff's office advised the Struthers police of what had occurred and the decision was made to transport Swagger to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Boardman, which is in Mahoning County. Struthers then sent the sheriff's office a fax for the ambulance crew to give to the hospital staff instructing them to call the police department when they were done treating Swagger and an officer would pick him up.
With everything worked out, Swagger was ordered released from jail custody by the sheriff's office at 2:24 p.m. after the ambulance arrived.
Because of the increased public scrutiny on county jail operations, Curley felt the need to go into detail on this incident.
"Our staff followed proper procedure and did their due diligence," he said. "That's the point the public need to know."
tgiambroni@mojonews.com