By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
A misidentified man who was wanted by the Atmore Police Department for escape was captured Monday night only to attempt another get-away by diving out of a squad car moving at 40 miles per hour.
Donnie W. Marshall, a 41-year-old of Beatrice, Ala., was captured Monday night by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Once they discovered he was wanted for escape charges in Atmore, they called the APD.
According to McKinley, an officer was sent to the Monroe County Jail to pick Marshall up. While in route he received a call to go the Monroe County Hospital where the suspect had been taken because he complained of illness.
Shortly after the officer arrived at the hospital, a doctor cleared him for release. McKinley said Marshall was placed in leg irons and handcuffs and taken to the car.
Once Marshall was in the vehicle, the APD officer began traveling toward Atmore on Highway 21.
McKinley said he did not know how far the officer and suspect had traveled from the hospital, but that it was at least one mile away when the glass was broken.
According to McKinley the car was traveling at approximately 40 miles per hour when the suspect exited the automobile.
The officer made a U-turn and was met by a Monroeville Police Department unit that happened to be in the area. McKinley said as the Atmore officer updated the Monroeville officer on what had happened a pick-up truck pulled up to them.
McKinley said the officers traveled back and found Marshall bleeding, but still awake. An ambulance was called and the suspect was transported back to the Monroe County Hospital where he was determined to be in serious condition and life-flighted to the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile.
McKinley said Marshall was in surgery at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and was still in serious condition.
Originally, the APD had issued the warrant in the name of James Edward Marshall because he had no identification at the time of his arrest. But, when a James Edward Marshall visited the suspect in the hospital, police immediately began working to verify the suspect's identity.
McKinley went to the hospital Tuesday afternoon where he found James Edward was the suspect's brother.
According to McKinley, it is not uncommon for suspects to give false names when they have no identification.
McKinley said Marshall had escaped while being housed in the Atmore City Jail in April, 2000. During a cell check, Marshall ran past an officer and escaped. He had been arrested originally for misdemeanor charges of shoplifting.
Monroe County agencies will be conducting the investigation into the latest escape attempt because it happened within their jurisdiction. The Alabama Department of Public Safety will investigate the vehicle that struck Marshall on the roadway.
McKinley said Marshall could be facing an additional escape charge.