although many were serving time for violent crimes some were allowed to take part in an outside the prison work program aimed at getting them ready for eventual release back into society on May 30 1982 inmates who had earned work privileges left the grounds of the medium security prison around 7:30 a.m. supervised by Michael Ali as correctional officer in charge of an outside defense detail picking up garbage cutting lawns stuff like that took him out everyday and most of the inmates were pretty decent people and they they treated me well I treated them well so I didn't have any fear of them [Music] I'd been on the job for about oh four or five months I never had a problem with him up till this one day [Music] I was not armed at the time the Department of Corrections policy is that we do not carry weapons while we're involved with inmates basically to the fact that it funded me was to take you hostage then they'd have a weapon even now I sometimes I have the nightmares [Music] we were pulling out of knights point where we'd stop to drop off one of our broken tools [Music] [Music] sorry hey come on I was just so shocked I just took my foot off the gas and let the vehicle roll I don't have any idea how far I drove seems like four hours [Music] the man who had taken Adi hostage was serving a 23 year sentence for armed robbery and had a reputation for instability I don't think I wanted to think what was gonna happen take a lot right here sorry I just kind of blocked it out concentrated on driving and I had several Nick's on my throat so I wasn't too particularly happy with bumpy roads right in here come on boy there's nothing I could do it's a terrible feeling it's scary to know that you're gonna die no part of this pretty man your own Audis hands were tied behind his back with broke by another inmate he was then secured to a tree with adhesive tape nice coming it seemed like he well he didn't he didn't have any plan or anything it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing and he really didn't have any idea what he was doing [Music] [Music] with inmates there's a code that you you can't squeal on somebody and you can't help a guard I knew they couldn't help me but they really did because they tied me very loosely so that I could get free without too much trouble I gathered the other inmates and we headed down the road to the nearest house where I made a call to the Correctional Center to inform them that there was an escape and from there they called the State Police vol 4 an inmate who has escaped from a work detail in North Harilal West Shore Road it's believed that he has taken the state van registration d-david sue charles 102 direction of travel unknown at this time [Music] leo 73 year old male Ahmad was at home with her 81 year old husband leo it startled me so I just run into the house and put in the telephone call to the rescue school this is me Lamar the seniors boss has just run into the ditch on our road that's what I thought it was and I knew if anyone had been in the back of that van that they would have been injured yes yes I think there's someone hurt I can see someone getting out now the town's volunteer rescue squad was dispatched including EMT Garrett Orville who worked less than two miles away got it are you all right is there anyone else down there no just me you want to come in a new phone Gary arrived at the scene within a few minutes I went to the telephone intending to call a wrecker I think I was so frightened I just passed out up mais husband leah was already very ill with a serious heart condition there probably was only 2 or 3 seconds I wasn't out very long just then Gary came in he couldn't believe what he was seeing here uncle would you let them go all right current just take it easy okay Nate you okay man I thought Leo was gonna have a heart attack because I knew how sick he had been you know then this conduct went to Gary and told me I got a knife at your throat and you do what I tell you to they walk out the door I wanted to run after him I not the knife out of his head but I couldn't I couldn't move that man looked desperate I call a State Police and they wanted a description of the man that had held us up just received a call from a mrs. LaMotte as soon as Mae's call came in police in the area were given a description of the situation and the vehicle involved the corrections band from the way that she described it Essex Police Officer Mike Brooks heard the call while on routine patrol I was going through an intersection in Essex Village observed a truck that was similar color and description when I called in the plate number to our dispatcher she immediately called back and said she just received word from the State Police and this was a vehicle they were looking for 400 is in pursuit I was concerned at this point that the fire wasn't a good idea we stop it now but I already committed myself because I had the blue lights on I could see only one person in the truck because my view was obstructed he kept looking in his mirror and looking right at me and what the vehicle wasn't pulling over I just maintained my distance behind the truck and rayon in my position to dispatcher the coordinate systems for me backup units were dispatched lieutenant Robert yandel was among those who responded when I heard that he was going to be making an attempt to stop the vehicle that's why I left the office was Gary and Robin to learn whatever assistance we could to lieutenant Brooks as I got closer truck I could see in the mirror on the driver's door that the passenger was holding what appeared to be a knife to the drivers throat I asked for roadblock once the vehicle turned and started heading toward South Burlington police units from Essex and South Burlington joined forces to form the roadblock once they started to proceed around the roadblock it became obvious to us that the suspect was pretty desperate and was urging the victim to continue on at that point it appeared to be at any cost that's the fact that they go in the interstate not only surprised everyone but gave us an advantage that we wouldn't have had if Davis stayed on congested Road [Music] everybody maneuvered their vehicles to box in the suspect [Music] hey come on get this guy on the rock come on back up little Ernie maybe once we have the vehicle boxed in no one was going to allow that situation to digress to the point where it would be out of control again the victim hostage had no choice but to slow down and ultimately stop okay nothing down to me and they don't say nothing about you [Music] that's quit when I turn to look all I was doing was looking down the barrel of guns don't move officers had no idea which one of us was which guy they'd just been through a very tense situation nice both were taken out of the vehicle at gunpoint both were physically restrained and detained until we were certain that the person driving was actually the victim they were just doing what they were supposed to do they didn't have no good job you couldn't have asked him to do any better nobody pulled the trigger the man arrested that day was charged with assault and kidnapping he was transferred to a higher security prison where he later committed suicide [Music] after several years of trying prison guard Michael Audie could not forget the traumatic events of that day he finally left his job at the prison I believe that he would have killed me I have no idea why he didn't know he threatened in enough times but it's like even today I have a hard time driving down that road because I hit that hit one certain spot and I can remember it very vividly in the years since the incident Geary Tourvel has kept in touch with a now widowed may Lamont Carey it was wonderful and I owe my life to Gary toll I believe that fella would have killed us if it hadn't been for him and I think that ride was one of the wildest rides anyone ever took it's all part of something you were doing and it just happened you were there at that moment he did something that you knew you had to do it's it's fun to sit down and talk about it and he'll go okay I I fight brain roadblocks and I rammed into police cars and you know I've been handcuffed and frisked and it's okay but what's next it was a Monday what are you doing for Tuesday [Music]