Former Mississippi prison guard faces charges related to inmate escape and standoff with Chicago police

A former employee of a jail in Mississippi was recently arrested and charged in connection with the escape of inmate Joshua Zimmerman in June. The former employee, Ronnie Hunt, had been charged with conveying articles useful for the escape of a prisoner, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Bailey Martin. Additional charges are likely to follow. Reports indicate that Hunt, 32, has been terminated from his position as a deputy jailer by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department and is currently held in Lafayette County Jail, approximately an hour away from his former workplace.
Zimmerman had escaped on June 14 from the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi, where he was in custody facing charges of attempted murder and armed robbery. Additionally, he had pending murder charges in Houston. Following a 15-hour standoff at a restaurant near the Democratic National Convention site in Chicago, Zimmerman was apprehended.
The U.S. Marshals Service disclosed that Zimmerman, who fled wearing regular clothing and not prison attire, was believed to have been working at the seafood restaurant where he was eventually captured. Despite the proximity of the restaurant to the convention center, authorities clarified there was no threat to the event or its attendees.
Court records in Harris County, Texas, reveal that Zimmerman is accused of fatally shooting Keyanna Mercer at a Houston motel in 2023. An incident ensued after they were asked to vacate the premises due to disturbances. Zimmerman has a history of legal issues, including a 2022 arrest in Connecticut on a felony sexual assault charge. He later pleaded not guilty and was released on bond but had a subsequent warrant issued for his re-arrest.
Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle II of DeSoto County dismissed speculations of Zimmerman receiving any assistance during his escape, emphasizing Zimmerman’s criminal background and knowledge of evading authorities.