A Texas woman jailed in last year’s shooting death of a 25-year-old professional cyclist briefly escaped custody on Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed after a video that appears to show her desperate sprint for freedom.
Two correctional officers were escorting murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong to a correctional vehicle following an off-site medical appointment “when she ran,” Kristen Dark, a public information officer with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, told HuffPost on Thursday.
“She made it about a block and a half. Our corrections officers never lost sight of her and they were able to catch up with her and restrain her,” said Dark.
Video obtained by local station KXAN shows a person being frantically chased near a parking lot. The footage “does appear to be her running,” Dark said of Armstrong, who has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder of Anna “Mo” Wilson.
Armstrong’s attorney’s office told HuffPost on Thursday that they were unable to comment on the matter due to a gag order.
In the video, a person wearing a black-and-white-striped outfit runs to a wall and attempts to climb over it as an apparent correctional officer chases and stumbles behind.
Dark said she could not comment on how officers restrain people during transport, only saying that it varies from person to person and can be based on the individual’s medical condition.
Armstrong and the two correctional officers were later taken to a local hospital for examination, with minor injuries reported among them. Armstrong was then returned to the county’s jail facility, said Dark, who added that she could not comment on whether Armstrong has been involved in any other escape attempts since her arrest.
The 35-year-old is facing several charges in the death of Wilson in Austin, Texas, last year.
Wilson had just returned from spending time with Armstrong’s then-boyfriend, Colin Strickland — who, like Wilson, cycled professionally — when she was found shot multiple times at an apartment where she was staying, authorities have said.
Armstrong was questioned by authorities in Wilson’s death after her vehicle was allegedly seen on camera at the scene of the crime and around the time of the shooting. She later allegedly sold her vehicle and then fled to Costa Rica, prompting a seven-week manhunt that ended with her arrest on June 29 of last year.
Dark said Armstrong is expected to face additional charges following her alleged escape attempt this week, though she said she could not comment on what those charges may be.
Armstrong’s trial is scheduled to start later this month, according to online court records.