Escapee caught in Pine Ridge From staff reports The Weekly Post Published September 24, 2009 Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time counts for a lot. Tuesday morning, Fort Payne police officer Randy Arnold was johnny-on-the-spot to help arrest Emmitt Arlee Harris, aka Adijah A. Uhuru, who had escaped from the DeKalb County Detention Center Sunday evening. "At about 7:15 this morning, we received a call of a prowler on county road 835 in Pine Ridge," said Sheriff Jimmy Harris. "Arnold was running radar on Highway 35 at the foot of Sand Mountain and responded. He was there within two minutes. About six minutes later, three or four deputies showed up to help. But by then, Arnold had him contained." The escapee had cuts and abrasions all over his body, including many deep cuts. He had apparently been hiding in the woods the entire time he was loose. "Harris climbed an internal 14-foot security fence and went through three layers of razor wire, pulling himself to the top of the building and then jumping about 14 feet from the roof," the sheriff said. Sheriff Harris explained that the prisoner had left a two-page letter in his cell, telling about a problem in the jail setup that would allow an escape. While on his hour-long exercise period, he went through the wire. "After we caught him, he told me that as a convict, his job is to escape and our job is to catch him," the sheriff said. "In his letter, he said that he didn't want to hurt anyone and didn't think any deputies or anyone should be punished, because he just took advantage of a design flaw in the jail." The sheriff noted that since the jail opened, it has been inspected by several agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and that no one had noticed the flaw. He is a federal prisoner being housed in DeKalb. Last year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested him for possessing a firearm while a felon. He was sentenced to 33 years. His arrest history goes back to 1975, when he robbed a bank. Over the years, he has been charged with bank robbery, armed robbery, terrorist threats, and many other crimes. The letter he left stated that he desires to go back to a prison so he can be in with the general population instead of being isolated. When found, the escapee was in the carport of a home, trying to hide between a vehicle and the wall. "I thought he was long gone from this area by now," Arnold said. "I didn't realize it was him until I saw his face." Share | Save | Mail | Print | Comment