Vinay Karanam On Monday, a man identified by police as 48-year-old Damon Anderson managed to escape from Corrections custody while at Waikato Hospital. Anderson was at the hospital on Pembroke Street for medical supervision when he fled around 1:30 pm. Authorities are currently searching for him.
Although the police have stated that Anderson does not pose an immediate threat to the public, they have advised people not to approach him and to report any sightings to the police immediately. Anderson was on remand at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, according to a spokesperson for Corrections.
Scott Walker, the general manager of Spring Hill Corrections Facility, revealed that Anderson was handcuffed and wearing a GPS monitor at the time of his escape. Walker mentioned that an immediate review of the incident would be conducted to determine how Anderson managed to evade custody.
The number of staff members who were escorting Anderson during the escape has not been disclosed by Corrections, though they confirmed that none of the staff were injured. Similarly, a spokesperson for Health NZ did not comment on whether any hospital staff or patients were threatened or harmed during the incident.
This marks the second instance of a prisoner escaping from Waikato Hospital in just a month. The previous incident in November involved a prisoner who allegedly assaulted two Corrections officers and carjacked a vehicle before being apprehended later.
