PALATKA, Fla. — A violent felon is back behind bars after deputies say he attacked a deputy and escaped during a medical appointment Thursday morning, triggering a manhunt and school lockdowns.
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According to the Putnam County sheriff’s office, 27-year-old Eddie Tripp was at an orthopedic follow-up appointment when he claimed his handcuffs were uncomfortable. When the deputy unlocked a cuff to adjust it, investigators say Tripp threw his weight into the deputy, body-slamming him to the ground before taking off.
The sheriff’s office says the deputy fired a single shot while chasing him, but re-holstered his weapon when he no longer had a clear shot.
Residents at the nearby Forest Glen Apartments noticed the commotion.
“I seen him go by, and then I saw the cop go by. That’s when I heard the pop go off,” said resident Robert Savage.
The escape prompted lockdowns at multiple nearby schools as dozens of deputies and several assisting agencies set up a perimeter. Investigators say Tripp was on the run for about an hour.
Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said a Clay County K-9 ultimately tracked him to a wooded area roughly 1,000 yards from where he fled.
“He took deputies on a foot chase of about 1,000 yards and was discovered in a wooded area where he’d bedded down and put some loose debris and palm fronds over his body to conceal himself.”
Tripp was taken back to jail, where he’s being held without bond.
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