The escape of inmate worker William Scott Woodin from the Theo Lacy Facility on Tuesday evening was followed by an intensive search and ultimate capture of the non-violent thief by Sheriff's investigators.

Captured escapee William Scott Woodin

The Orange County Register has the story: 

Inmate captured about 24 hours after he escaped

An inmate who escaped from county jail was found in Lake Forest on Thursday night and taken back into custody, Sheriff's Department officials said.

William Scott Woodin was arrested after a brief foot pursuit near Vintage Park, a little more than 24 hours after authorities say he broke a window in a jail kitchen and escaped from Theo Lacy jail in Orange.

A one-time Newport Beach resident, Woodin, 39, was arrested by Irvine officers Oct. 23 after authorities say he tried to steal a watch from a Nordstrom store.

According to court records, Woodin pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of petty theft and giving a false name to police.

Since he was not convicted of a violent crime, Woodin was assigned to a work detail in the jail's kitchen, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

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To see the complete press release click: OTS Grant 010312.pdf (29.94 kb)

This interesting video was posted by the Lane County District Attorney in Oregon. It was brought to the attention of the Blog by Lieutenant Jim Rudy and Sergeant Matthew Barr.

"The link is to a 17 minute video titled “Hollywood vs. Reality:  Officer-Involved Shootings” by the Oregon DOJ and dispels many of the myths the public has about OIS," Sgt. Barr said. 

To view the video, click the icon below: 

On December 16th, 2011, nineteen investigators and deputy sheriffs completed OCSD Basic SWAT School #1 at the Katella Training Facility. The graduates are members of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, the Hazardous Devices Squad, and the Sheriff’s K-9 unit.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Commander Don Barnes presented each of the graduates with their Certificates of Completion.

The two week course consisted of in-depth classroom instruction, including basic SWAT duties and responsibilities, tactical considerations when dealing with critical incidents, practical application scenarios, and firearms training. The OCSD Basic SWAT course is the first POST certified “SWAT School” offered by an Orange County law enforcement agency.

The class was taught by members of the OCSD SWAT Team and subject matter experts from outside the department. Members of HDS and K-9 were included in the class because SWAT, HDS, and K-9 regularly work together to safely resolve critical incidents. The goal is to achieve the seamless integration of these disciplines during a tactical operation. The graduates of OCSD Basic SWAT School #1 are well on their way to achieving that goal. 

Here are some photos of SWAT in action: