Mississippi sheriff implements enhanced security measures following capture of escaped inmate in Chicago

The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi has implemented new security procedures following an inmate escape incident. Joshua Zimmerman fled from the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi, on June 14. The inmate was not handcuffed and was in street clothes when he escaped and later was arrested in Chicago after a 15-hour standoff with police close to the Democratic National Convention.

In response to the escape, the sheriff’s department released a statement on Wednesday mentioning that they have addressed the vulnerabilities highlighted by Zimmerman’s escape and have taken additional security measures, which they have chosen not to disclose to the public for safety reasons.

Ronnie Hunt, a former deputy jailer from DeSoto County, has been accused of aiding in the prisoner’s escape. Hunt has been charged with conveying articles useful for aiding in an inmate’s escape, and additional charges may be forthcoming according to Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin. Hunt, 32, was terminated from his position with the sheriff’s department.

At the time of his escape, Zimmerman was facing charges of attempted murder and armed robbery in Mississippi, along with pending extradition to Houston for a murder charge, as per the U.S. Marshals Service. Investigators believe that Zimmerman was working at a seafood restaurant near the United Center in Chicago, where he was captured, but reassured that there was no connection or threat to the nearby political convention.

Records from Harris County, Texas, indicate that Zimmerman is accused of shooting and killing Keyanna Mercer at a Houston motel in 2023. He was also previously charged with felony sexual assault in Connecticut in 2022, for which he pleaded not guilty. Zimmerman was released on bond but later had a warrant issued for his re-arrest.