Local police capture Henry County escapee

By Noelle M. Steele

nsteele@greenfieldreporter.com

GREENFIELD — An inmate who escaped through a hole in the roof of the Henry County Jail was captured in Greenfield late Monday after a day-long manhunt.

Police had been fielding tips throughout the day about the whereabouts of David Kline, 29, who was ultimately captured at the Dollar Inn in the 2100 block of North State Street in Greenfield around 11 p.m.

Greenfield police and Hancock County sheriff’s deputies joined forces with Henry County officials earlier Monday after police received information Kline might be in the Greenfield area.

Undercover officers staked out at least one local business throughout the afternoon, waiting for Kline to show up, as well as the Dollar Inn, where an acquaintance Kline was suspected to be with had rented a room, police said.

The Henry County Sheriff's Office said a guard noticed Kline was missing from his cell Monday morning and that the hole was found in a nearby cell.

Members of the P.A.C.E. (Proactive Criminal Enforcement) team, a drug task force team that includes officers from both Hancock and Henry counties, helped keep communication running smoothly as tips can in, Greenfield Detective Ron Chittum said.

 “We have a bridge, so to speak,” he said. “Then, everybody gets involved.”

Chittum and Detective Nichole Gilbert, who were conducting surveillance at the Dollar Inn, spotted Kline coming out of a hotel room around 11 p.m., Chittum said.

Kline was arrested without incident. He told officers he left the Henry County Jail not because he was intending to escape but because the other inmates “kicked him out,” police said.

Kline had been jailed for failure to appear in court Oct. 2. His original charges including intimidation and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.

Kline does not face any local charges, but he will be charged with escape, a Class C felony, which carries a penalty of two to eight years and up to $10,000 in fines.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.