New Orleans jail mistakenly releases inmate, manhunt underway

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The release was a case of mistaken identity caused by “human error,” officials said.

Authorities in New Orleans say they are on the hunt for an inmate who was released by mistake from the same jail where 10 broke out earlier this year.

Authorities don’t know whether Khalil Bryan, 30, was aware he was being released by mistake from the Orleans Justice Center on July 25, but said he was being put on notice with the announcement that he is a fugitive, said New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.

Bryan was being held on charges including possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer, and also had an active warrant for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion, Kirkpatrick said.

The error comes as the jail and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office are still reeling from the escape of 10 inmates in the early morning hours of May 16 when authorities say the inmates exited through a hole in a cell wall after ripping out a toilet. One of those inmates, convicted killer Derrick Groves, has yet to be recaptured.

“I do want to make an appeal to Mr. Bryan, even though it was a mistaken release from custody, you are on notice you are a fugitive. I’m going to ask that you turn yourself in,” Kirkpatrick said at a news conference, adding that Bryan could face additional charges.

The release stemmed from a case of mistaken identity, when Bryan was confused with another inmate with a similar last name, said Sheriff Susan Hutson. Hutson said the jail’s system has ways to catch such discrepancies, but the release was due to “human error.” An investigation and review of protocols is underway and disciplinary action would be forthcoming, she said.

“I want to make a sincere apology to the people of New Orleans. The mistaken release of Khalil Bryan was a serious error and as sheriff I take full responsibility,” Hutson said. “I want the public to know this should not have happened. It was a failure of internal processes and the public has every right to expect better.”

Still, Hutson said mistakes do sometimes happen in a system that processes 11,000 inmates every year.

The New Orleans Police Department’s violent offender squad was actively searching for Bryan, Kirkpatrick said. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact authorities, she said. Anyone found to be harboring him may also face charges.

1 of 10 inmates still at large in New Orleans jailbreak

Groves, 27, is the last remaining inmate who broke out in May still on the run. The last arrest of those fugitives was made in June, nearly six weeks after the escape. Some were nabbed by authorities as far away as Texas.

The nine inmates who have been recaptured all pleaded not guilty to charges related to the escape on July 23, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office said.

Groves was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018. Groves also has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October.

Since the escape, at least 16 other people have been arrested and accused of helping the inmates break out or stay on the run, including family members and at least one jail employee.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

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