Suspect Flees Police Station In Handcuffs Detainee Still At Large After Walking Away

A Spokane man wanted in connection with a series of burglaries eluded police hours after his arrest Monday by simply walking out of the Public Safety Building.

Police left Fred William Nolan Jr. alone in an interrogation room, handcuffed behind his back.

Somehow he managed to open security doors in the middle of the afternoon, sneaking past officers and crowds of people.

Late Monday, he was still on the loose.

One officer said it was the first time in 25 years that a suspect had escaped from police headquarters.

Nolan, 27, is a suspect in a series of business burglaries last week in the Spokane Valley. He had been featured in Secret Witness news reports last weekend.

Nolan has 28 criminal convictions, most of them for burglary, theft, possession of stolen property and trespassing, police said.

He was arrested Monday morning after a person seeing the Secret Witness reports tipped off police.

When officers went to Nolan’s home, they say, he answered the door and gave them a false name. He was identified from his picture, however, arrested and taken to the Public Safety Building.

Attempts to contact the officers involved in the questioning of the suspect were blocked by Dick Cottam, the department’s public information officer.

“We don’t want to make a big deal out of this,” Cottam said.

Nolan is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 140 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

A Secret Witness cash reward is still being offered for information leading to his arrest. Call 327-5111.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo