Arrested New Orleans jail worker says he helped inmates to escape after stabbing threat

(20 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New Orleans - 20 May 2025
1. Sheriff Susan Hutson walks in front of city council
2. Various of City Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sheriff Susan Hutson, Orleans Parish, Louisiana:
"First, I want to begin by stating clearly and directly the escape of 10 individuals from the Orleans Justice Center is unacceptable. It is deeply troubling to me as your sheriff, and I know it is equally troubling to you and the public that we are sworn to protect. As your sheriff, I take full accountability for this failure and it is my responsibility to make sure it is addressed with urgency and transparency."
4. Various of Orleans Parish Jail
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Murrill, Louisiana’s Attorney General:
"My office today announced that we booked an individual last night and processed him on 10 counts of principle to escape from a penal institution, and we've also charged him with one count of malfeasance in office. That individual was a maintenance worker at the facility and we believe him to have been involved in turning the water off in connection with this event."
6.Various of Orleans Parish Jail
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Murrill, Louisiana’s Attorney General:
"You know, if he was under threat, then he certainly should have brought that to someone else's attention, but you know the facts that I'm aware of indicate that there were multiple opportunities to do that, to bring it to the attention of authorities."
8. Various of Orleans Parish Jail
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Murrill, Louisiana’s Attorney General:
"Our intent is to make sure that this never happens again and so you know we're going to look at all the things that we need to do to change those conditions and at the same time hold everyone accountable that may have been involved before, during, and after."
10. Close up of barbed wire
STORYLINE:
Authorities have arrested an Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office maintenance worker in connection with the escape of 10 jail inmates.

The office said in a statement Tuesday that Sterling Williams admitted he turned the water off in a cell before the men slipped away through a hole behind the toilet early Friday.

Williams told authorities an inmate threatened to stab him if he didn't help.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson last week told reporters her agency had suspended three employees pending an investigation.

Four of the fugitives have been apprehended and six remain at large.

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