Handcuffed suspect steals patrol car after breaking out of back seat, Illinois cops say

A suspect in Illinois broke out of the back seat of a patrol car and sped away in the officer’s vehicle — all while handcuffed, police say.

A deputy with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office pulled over Ethan Walte, 18, in Hamilton around 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release posted to Facebook.

Hamilton is in west Illinois near the Iowa border.

Walte was wanted for violating probation related to a burglary charge in Iowa, police said. The deputy arrested Walte, handcuffing his hands behind his back before putting him in the back of a patrol car.

As the deputy was “securing Walte’s vehicle,” Walte managed to get his hands — still in handcuffs — to the front of his body, according to police. He then climbed through the security partition into the front of the deputy’s patrol car.

Walte sped off in the vehicle, police said. The deputy tried to pull Walte out of the driver’s seat, but was thrown to the pavement. He sustained minor injuries.

Walte drove the car across a bridge and into Keokuk, Iowa, about two miles west of Hamilton, according to police.

Walte crashed the patrol car into a parked vehicle, got out, then ran away on foot, police said. Both vehicles had minor damage.

Police are searching for Walte, who they describe as 5’6” tall and 135 pounds. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Handcuffed suspect steals patrol car after breaking out of back seat, Illinois cops say."