Inmate who escaped from Middletown hospital found by police dog

A Middletown City Jail inmate, who allegedly escaped from a local hospital, was found hiding a short time later by a Middletown canine officer, according to a police report.

Alexander Emerson, 35, of Middletown, was found Tuesday night lying under a board that was at the wood line near Interstate 75 in Middletown. He was still wearing his hospital gown, the report read.

Canine officer Bear, who tracked Emerson, bit him on his left arm, left side and left leg, according to the report. Bear held onto Emerson’s left leg until another Middletown officer arrived and placed Emerson in handcuffs, the report read.

Bear was then commanded to stay “down” and he stayed in that position until Emerson was taken out of the wood line and placed in the rear of an unmarked cruiser, according to the report.

Earlier in the day, Emerson, who was in jail for failure to appear on drug charges, told a corrections officer he had swallowed something and he needed medical treatment. He later said he had swallowed a battery from a computer mouse, according to the report.

Emerson was transported to Kettering Medical Center-Middletown and given a medical furlough. Emerson was told he was still under arrest and he was not to leave the hospital. Police were notified at 7:42 p.m. Tuesday that Emerson had walked out of the front door of the hospital and walked toward Union Road.

He was was tracked to the back of Walmart, and a drone from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office spotted a truck with a trailer leaving the area where Emerson was tracked. The State Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle near Cincinnati, but Emerson wasn’t located.

Emerson is charged with escape, according to court records.

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