Unrestrained inmate escapes during courtroom hearing in Mason County

A convicted felon in Mason County Jail escaped to the street Tuesday afternoon from the courtroom itself.

Donald F Hartwell Jr., who was booked into jail the previous week on several warrants, ran barefoot out of a Mason County District Court hearing in which he was appearing. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remains on the run.

Mason County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy of Corrections Kevin Hanson said that Hartwell was not shackled in the courtroom, as per a new statewide policy.

“Once they get in front of a judge, we have to un-restrain them to allow them to be heard by a judge so that we don’t jeopardize their due process rights,” Hanson explained.

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This was mandated by the 2018 State of Washington v. Lundstrom ruling in the Washington State Court of Appeals, which declared that restraining defendants in court — when not necessary for the safety of anyone in the courtroom — violates the Washington State Constitution.

Mason County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy of Patrol Ryan Spurling said that a security guard who normally would stand by the door was engaged in court proceedings elsewhere in the room, which may have contributed to Hartwell’s escape. He added that Hartwell was quite lanky, displaying agility in his movements during the escape.

“He was very quick … he took about three big, bounding steps down the stairs, and he was out the door very quickly,” Spurling said. “And everybody took pursuit from there.”

The weather was rainy and the ground slick, causing one of the security officers pursuing him to fall twice and injure himself.

A K-9 unit tracked the felon to a wooded trail northwest of Shelton, but lost the scent there. It is unknown whether he is hiding in the woods or being sheltered by someone.

“We’ve dealt with this individual quite a few times over the past years, and we’re just going to continue looking for him,” Spurling said.

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