Escaped Mississippi inmate arrested after barricading himself inside restaurant near DNC site in Chicago
Chicago (CBS) – A suspect who fled a Mississippi court hearing in June was found in Chicago and taken into custody after a standoff with police at a West Side restaurant, authorities said.
CBS affiliate WREG-TV in Memphis Joshua Zimmerman was reported a fugitive from the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi on June 14. He changed from his jumpsuit to civilian clothes and exited through an unoccupied door, officials said.
DeSoto County, Mississippi Sheriff's Office
Zimmerman was charged with attempted murder and armed robbery in September of last year in an incident in Southaven, Mississippi. WREG reports that Zimmerman is accused of assaulting an elderly man he hired at his home.
Zimmerman was arrested Wednesday morning.
Chief Deputy Justin Smith of the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday night that multiple law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, have been searching for Smith since he fled.
Zimmerman was found at the seafood joint at 2325 W. Madison St., east of Western Avenue, Smith said. The restaurant is located just half a mile west of the United Center The Democratic National Convention held its second night on Tuesday.
According to U.S. Marshals, during the attempted arrest, Zimmerman « backed into the ceiling and restrained himself. »
DeSoto County, Mississippi Sheriff's Office
When he escaped, Zimmerman was awaiting extradition to Houston, where he was charged with murder, the Marshals Service said, The Associated Press reported.
The charges stem from his alleged involvement in a shooting that killed a woman at a Houston motel last September, WREG reported.
