Prisoner escapes from private extradition service: manhunt under way

[undeterred]

Breaking: Prisoner Escapes; Manhunt Under Way

A nationwide manhunt was launched today after a prisoner escaped custody of a private transport company while stopped in Van Buren. Justin Patrick Welch, 26, escaped custody at 2:45 a.m. during a bathroom stop at the Interstate 40 Rest Area in Van Buren.

Welch and four other prisoners were escorted to the bathroom when the Columbus, Miss.-based transport company made the stop, said Lt. Brent Grill of the Van Buren Police Department. While in the bathroom, Welch allegedly attacked a guard, stabbing him and beating him before stealing his gun and fleeing the scene. The guard is being treated at a local hospital.

Once outside, Welch confronted the second guard, who was unarmed and asleep in the van. The two struggled and Welch fired a shot at the guard, but missed. Welch fled the area alone in a white 2007 Dodge van headed east on Interstate 40, Grill said.

The van is marked on both sides. It has the letters NAES and below those letters it has "North Atlantic Extradition Service.” The license plate was LTC537 out of Mississippi.

http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/100-news011310_01.txt

This guy is a murder suspect being taken from Arkansas to Wisconsin. Since when is transport of prisoners "privatized"?