Juveniles attacked guard and choked him unconscious before escaping Hastings Detention Center: SJSO

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage Thursday showing the moment officers located and took into custody four juveniles who had escaped from a facility in Hastings.

Deputies said they received 911 calls Monday morning from Deep Creek Youth Academy in Hastings regarding “numerous” juvenile inmates who had escaped from the facility.

According to the SJSO, the juveniles involved in the escape were booked into the detention center for several offenses, including possession of a firearm on school grounds, battery on a school employee, battery and aggravated battery with deadly battery and other charges.

Police said two of the inmates attacked a guard with a sock equipped with a shower head and a makeshift “knife/rod.” Then, they “overpowered him, choked him until he lost consciousness and took his keys and portable radio.”

Officials said those two inmates were joined by three others to begin their escape from the facility. However, one of them failed to leave campus.

The escape resulted in the deployment of several law enforcement agencies to the area, including SJSO K9 Bane and Depuy Robert Neigebauer, according to the SJSO.

Body camera footage shows the moment K9 Bane was able to locate the juveniles, who were inside a car parked approximately 2 miles from the facility, ultimately leading to their arrest.

WARNING: Video of the incident may be disturbing and difficult for some to watch and viewer discretion is advised.

All four inmates were taken into custody and transported to the St. Johns County Jail.

Detectives charged the inmates with several crimes, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, battery by strangulation and escape from a residential detention facility.

“This was a first-class operation to protect our citizens, led by many SJSO members from multiple divisions and units and I am proud to be their sheriff. Thank you to our law enforcement partners from surrounding agencies who immediately responded to assist our personnel. I have been in contact with the Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and we will work together to ensure this does not happen again,” Sheriff Rob Hardwick wrote in a statement. “The message is clear: we will not tolerate not this in our community and we will respond in force to protect our citizens These inmates chose the wrong county.

The guard was treated by St. Johns County firefighters and is expected to recover from his injuries, deputies said.