Sheriff: Inmate who killed 2 at courthouse cuffed in front
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — A Michigan sheriff pledged Tuesday to review his department’s guidelines for transporting suspects charged with violent crimes after an inmate who was cuffed in front rather than behind his back wrested a gun from a deputy and killed two court bailiffs.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey initially told reporters that Larry Darnell Gordon was not handcuffed Monday during the brazen courthouse escape attempt. On Tuesday, Bailey revised that account, explaining that Gordon was cuffed in front but that the restraint was not attached to a belly chain, which security experts say is a safer way to restrict movement.
“We’re going to look at everything about why this happened and make sure that if there are things we can change so this never happens again, we will,” Bailey said. “We’ll be working with our chief judge about our protocols at the courthouse.”
Gary Klugiewicz, an inmate transport expert with security consultant Vistelar in Wisconsin and a retired Milwaukee County sheriff’s captain, said the lack of a transport belt could have played a major role in the fatal shootings.