A manhunt is underway for 32-year-old Richard Donta J. Cotton, who made a swift exit from the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago during a detention hearing, prompting a judge to issue an arrest warrant, the Cook County Sheriff's Office announced. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the incident occurred around 12:35 p.m. Monday, when a judge instructed court deputies to commence custody of Cotton, who had appeared in court to understand whether he would be held in detention or not.
According to the sheriff's office statement, Cotton had previously been released on a weapons charge, engaged in a simple request, could he pass some personal belongings to a family member, but as he moved toward the relative, he seized the moment to tear through the courtroom doors and escape the courthouse grounds; an exhaustive search is in progress to locate the fleeing individual. The NBC Chicago coverage confirmed that an arrest warrant was promptly issued, and Cotton remains at large with law enforcement agencies seeking to recapture him, though details surrounding this surprising turn of events remain scant.
Residents and anyone with information regarding Cotton's whereabouts are encouraged to contact the Cook County Sheriff's Police by dialing 847-635-1188 or to report sightings to 911, as efforts to apprehend the escapee continue. The sheriff's office has yet to disclose the specifics on how Cotton managed the escape or the charges linked to the original weapons arrest, cultivating a cloud of uncertainty as they chase down leads.
