Talala police chief captures escaped prisoner in his neighborhood

Talala's police chief captured a prisoner who walked away from a work release program in Oologah on Monday. 

Jeremy Anderson was serving a 5-year sentence for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The prisoner was caught in the Talala police chief, Scott Eaton's, neighborhood, where three other police officers live too. 

Getting involved 

Talala police Chief Scott Eaton was helping with contract work at town hall when he heard over his radio that prisoner Jeremy Anderson had walked away from a job less than a mile from his home. 

Then Eaton saw a post from his neighborhood Facebook page, saying a suspicious person was hiding in the woods.

Chief Scott Eaton, Talala PD, said, "So I thought there's no way. There's absolutely no way that this individual has, you know, made his way to our neighborhood."

Protecting his neighborhood

The chief ran home, checked on his house and went to check on a neighbor, when he heard over his radio that Anderson was spotted in a nearby field. 

Eaton went there and started looking. 

"It was, you know, it was very clear that I was in a position where I was away from what was going on, until I seen deputies running across the field, and then I see him running towards me," said Eaton. 

Whatever it takes 

Eaton had to hop over a barbed wire fence to get to the prisoner. 

"Well, if you've ever tried to hop over a barbed wire fence, it's pretty difficult. Unfortunately, I ripped my pants jumping over it, and I started running towards him. And of course, I'm, you know, yelling at him, get on the ground, get on the ground."

As Rogers County Deputies, Oologah Police, and OHP got closer, Anderson surrendered, and DOC took him into custody.

Prisoner caught and Chief relieved 

Eaton was relieved that Anderson was caught quickly. 

Extended sentence

Anderson was set to be released in three months, but DOC says that's now been pushed back and will be closer to May of 2028.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections statement

"Inmate Jeremy Anderson, who was participating in our work release program and employed at a business in Oologah, walked away from his job site yesterday morning for unknown reasons. The company searched its property and notified the Oklahoma Department of Corrections around 9:30 a.m. when Anderson could not be located.

At that time, we began our walkaway protocols, which include multiple facility counts, search procedures, and a series of notifications. An Orange Alert, our public notification system, was issued at approximately 10:30 a.m. Our staff notified the Oologah Police Department at 10:52 a.m. and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office at 11:15 a.m. We take every measure to ensure law enforcement, and the public receive timely and accurate information. We appreciate the quick response and continued support of our local and county law enforcement partners, who are critical in helping us protect public safety.

Per State statute and ODOC policy, only certain inmates are eligible to participate in work release programs or be housed at a community corrections center. Inmates with sex offenses or specific crimes against children are strictly excluded from both. Most importantly, individuals deemed to pose a serious or immediate risk to public safety are not eligible under any circumstances.

The purpose of work release is to support successful reentry by helping inmates transition back into society through employment and responsibility. Inmate Jeremy Anderson met all eligibility criteria for the program and was within a few months of release. Anyone can opt-in to receive an Orange Alert text message by visiting orangealert.ok.gov."