Rikers Island inmate escapes in NYC through fence before being recaptured
Six correction officers were suspended and a Rikers warden was reassigned after the incident
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Rikers Island inmate put the jail on lockdown Friday morning — after escaping through a hole in a fence, law enforcement sources told The New York Post.
The 20-year-old inmate, identified as Jorden Hewitt, slipped out of the recreation yard just before 9:45 a.m., according to sources.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hewitt, who is in the lockup on gun charges from a December arrest, did not make it off the island and was back in custody Friday, sources said.
It was unclear how long correction officers were hunting for the inmate.
When asked for details, Department of Correction spokesman Jason Kersten said in a statement, "There has been no escape."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the DOC did not answer a series of follow-up questions, including how the agency defined an escape.
About a year ago, Arthur L. Brown, 37, of Brooklyn climbed down from the exercise area on top of the George R. Vierno Center and made it into the water before being captured.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brown had made it past the perimeter fence but was "not fully submerged" in water.
A Rikers warden was reassigned and six correction officers suspended after the embarrassing incident.
This story first appeared in the New York Post.