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'Dangerous' Inmate Escapes from Constable
Fairview Township police say the inmate, Erik Peterson, overpowered the constable at the intersection of Route 177 and Yorktown Road in Lewisberry at approximately 8:00 a.m. Peterson was scheduled for arraignment on a robbery charge from Newberry Township at the office of Magisterial District Judge Scott Gross at 700 Yorktown Road.
Police chief Bernard Dugan says Peterson, 37, managed to overpower the constable while wearing handcuffs and leg irons. The constable was not hurt.
"He tried to put his hands over the seat, but the constable fought back," Dugan said. "At some point, the constable either got out of the car, I'm not really sure about that, and he was able to jump over to the front seat and drive away."
Peterson, of Wormleysburg, is believed to have fled south on I-83 in the constable's 2007 Ford Freestyle. The white station wagon has a Pa. firefighter registration of PF-05204.
Dugan said Peterson may still be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. There was pepper spray and a key to the handcuffs in the constable's car, but no guns. Peterson is considered to be dangerous.
"I think there's some mild cause for caution if you would see the vehicle or someone you think matches his description," Dugan said. "He's wearing an orange York County Prison jumpsuit. He takes that off, all he has on is his underwear. So they would want to report it right away, calling 911."
The robbery charge against him in Newberry Township stems from the robbery of a thrift store in the Newberry Commons shopping center in December. Police say Peterson held a gun to the heads of several store employees and threatened to kill them if they didn't open a safe.
Peterson also bound the hands and feet of several workers with duct tape, police said. He escaped after leading police on a chase along I-83, but was arrested days later.
He is suspected in a rash of additional robberies in York, Cumberland and Dauphin counties.
Anyone with information on Peterson's whereabouts is asked to call Fairview Township police at 717-901-5267.
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