Law Enforcement Searches Downtown for Escaped Inmate

According to iBerkshires.com an inmate from Berkshire County House of Corrections has escaped custody while being treated at Berkshire Medical Center.

Sheriff Thomas Bowler said that 33 year old Harry Chandler was being treated at BMC this afternoon for an infection in his hands when he escaped from custody wearing only orange inmate pants, no shirt and no shoes at approximately 2:07 this afternoon.

Chandler was arrested on several outstanding warrants on July 3, including failure to register as a sex offender, breaking and entering, assaulting a police officer, drug possession, trespass, shoplifting, assault and batter with a dangerous weapon.

Sheriff Bowler told iBerkshires.com that Chandler is a fugitive and he is at large so he is a concern, however he is not considered an immediate threat to the public.

He's more of an immediate danger to himself than I think to the public... He's in a bad way, he has a severe addiction...But obviously, we're concerned because he's at bay, he overpowered one of our officers at the hospital and was able to get free
Sheriff Thomas Bowler via iBerkshires

Pittsfield Police and sheriff's deputies with the assistance of the Lanesborough Police Department were scouring the immediate area of the hospital and Sheriff Bowler said other resources would be called is needed.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Harry Chandler should call the sheriff's department at 413-442-0512.