CHELSEA, Mass., April 23 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts man accused of shooting another man in an argument over liquor escaped while being taken to court for arraignment, authorities said.
Joel McDonald, 20, of Chelsea, Mass., is alleged to have shot 53-year-old James Day on Jan. 21 after an altercation over who drank some leftover liquor, the Boston Herald reported.
McDonald escaped Thursday when a garage door at a police station was left open, Chelsea police Chief Brian A. Kyes said.
"He was cuffed and restrained, but he took off running," Kyes said.
"Some kids are very fast. Like lightning. He's young and he has the motivation to go," Kyes said.
The police officer who was to transport McDonald to court in a cruiser is being "debriefed," Kyes said.
Police searched downtown Chelsea, aided by police dogs and a state police helicopter, the Herald said.
"They messed up, so the neighborhood has to be careful of someone lurking behind trash cans or climbing through windows," a downtown resident who works in law enforcement said.
