Washington authorities capture inmate who escaped last week
Sep 3, 2024, 7:32 PM | Updated: 7:35 pm
Christopher Brinkley was incarcerated at Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Littlerock before he escaped on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Corrections)
(Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Corrections)
UPDATE, 9/3/24: After spending the long holiday weekend as an escapee, 33-year-old Christopher Brinkley was captured in Seattle Tuesday, the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) reported. (A PDF of the capture announcement can be viewed here.)
Brinkley escaped from the headquarters of Correctional Industries (CI) in Tumwater Friday and is now in restrictive housing, awaiting new charges.
He was serving time in a minimum security facility for witness tampering and violating a protection order.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) and local law enforcement agencies are looking for an inmate who escaped custody Friday afternoon.
Christopher Brinkley, 33, escaped from the headquarters of Correctional Industries (CI) in Tumwater Friday, the DOC stated in a news release Friday. (A PDF of the DOC’s news release can be viewed here.) He was last seen around noon. According to its website, CI “is committed to maintain and expand work training programs which develop marketable job skills, instill and promote positive work ethics, and reduce the tax burden of corrections.”
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Brinkley was at CI as part of his approved work program, the DOC stated. He was incarcerated at Cedar Creek Corrections Center, which is a minimum security facility in Littlerock, before his escape.
Brinkley was convicted in King County earlier this year of tampering with a witness and protection order violation. Ahead of this incident, he had an earned release date of June 16, 2026, the state agency reported.
The escaped inmate was last seen wearing a red shirt and khaki pants.
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DOC staff and law enforcement are continuing to search the area. Officials are cautioning any citizen who sees Brinkley not to approach him. Instead, anyone who spots him should simply call 911 or DOC headquarters at (360)480-2696.
Editors’ note: This story originally was published Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.
