Jessup Manhunt Ends With Fugitive In Custody: Police

JESSUP, MD — Police said that the escaped convict serving a 106-year sentence for trying to murder law enforcement has been taken into custody.

David M. Watson, 28, was captured at approximately 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, according to officials. He was reportedly inside an 18-inch drainage pipe.

Howard County tactical officers used night vision to check a wooded area off Dorsey Run Road that police said was a few hundred yards from the spot where an unknown man was spotted Wednesday morning.

Someone called 911 to report seeing a man wearing a white hard hat and safety vest around 9:30 a.m. who allegedly ran when spotted in the 8200 block of Dorsey Run Road.

A little more than 12 hours later, the man was apprehended and confirmed to be Watson; he had escaped police custody Friday as he was taken out of a van transporting him to Jessup for a mental evaluation. He allegedly pushed a Wicomico County officer to the ground when the van door was opened, then police said he ran into nearby woods.

While initial searches included dogs and helicopter searches, police said that Wednesday's area checks involved rechecking the terrain.

"Although the pipe had been confirmed empty earlier in the day, officers with night vision equipment rechecked the area after dark," police said Wednesday evening. "They found Watson laying inside, attempting to hide."

Police said that Watson surrendered and was taken into custody in good condition. He is currently in the custody of the Howard County Police Department.

Watson had escaped on Friday in the parking lot of the hospital on Dorsey Run Road in Jessup, where he was being taken for a mental evaluation.

PREVIOUS REPORT — Officials are investigating an unconfirmed sighting of a man in the woods near Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center as possibly related to a fugitive wanted for attempted murder.

A local worker called 911 to report that a man wearing a white hard hat and safety vest was behind a building in the 8200 block of Dorsey Run Road near the railroad tracks at approximately 9:30 a.m., according to authorities, who said the man ran when spotted.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., the Howard County Police Department said it was deploying resources to Dorsey Run Road to look into the situation. After investigation, officers said that a hard hat and safety vest had been stolen from a storage building about a mile away and packing materials were found in a concrete drainage tunnel near where the man was sighted, along with shoe prints.

Teams have re-initiated a search around Dorsey Run Road, including the hospital; buildings; trucks, trailers and other vehicles; tunnels; and woods.

Police said that Dorsey Run Road was closed Wednesday from the area of Perkins to Patuxent Range Road.

Helicopters, bloodhounds, K-9 units and tactical teams are participating in the search, which includes the Howard County Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Natural Resources Police and CSX Police.

Train service in the area is running, but at speeds that would not allow anyone to board, police said.

The search comes after an inmate wanted for attempted murder escaped Friday from the parking lot of the state-run psychiatric hospital in the 8400 block of Dorsey Run Road.

David M. Watson, 28, allegedly pushed a Wicomico County officer to the ground as he was taken out of a van transporting him from the Wicomico County Detention Center to Jessup for a mental evaluation, and police said he ran into nearby woods.

Handcuffs and a waist chain were left at the scene of the van in the Perkins parking lot, according to authorities, who said Watson was serving a 106-year sentence for trying to murder police officers.

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Police said Monday that no sightings had been reported of Watson in the area.

A single report came in on Wednesday about an unknown man near the woods by Perkins, police said. That report initiated the search, which also impacted at least one area school. Deep Run Elementary stated it went into modified lockdown during the police activity.

The U.S. Marshals took the lead on the investigation for Watson earlier this week.

Watson is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds. He has facial tattoos, including one between his eyes, and has been known to wear glasses. He has tattoos that say "Evil" on the back of his neck, "Watson" on his right inner forearm, "187" on his left forearm and "Sin" on his left hand, police said.

Howard County police and the U.S. Marshals are offering a $10,000 reward for information.

Anyone who sees Watson should call 911 immediately.

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