08/04/13 Pocono, PA – Burglary Suspect Handcuffed In Pocono Mountain Regional Patrol Car – Steals Patrol Car – Patrol Car Found Abandoned – Massive Search

August 4, 2013

poconorecord.com

Pocono Mountain Regional Police have arrested the man who escaped while handcuffed in the back of a patrol car Saturday night.

Police Chief Harry Lewis said officers were back at the scene early Sunday morning, searching the woods for Kenneth Botke in the Stillwater Lakes Civic Association neighborhood where the patrol car was found at 11 p.m. Saturday.

Police arrested Botke around 1:15 p.m. today after he entered the home of Troy and Robin Silliman in the community. He was holding a weapon and said he wouldn’t hurt them if they gave him a ride to Effort.

While they were outside, police approached them and used a stun gun to capture Botke. He was in possession of two BB guns and police are searching for a gun he stole from the patrol car.

“He resisted arrest but after a struggle, he was able to be taken into custody,” Lewis said.

Botke’s handcuffs were clipped and Lewis said he expects more arrests will be made for anyone who helped him.

Lewis said neighbors’ tips and officers’ hard work made the capture possible.

“It was their tenacious pursuit and good timing,” he said.

Botke was transported to Pocono Medical Center for minor injuries and was expected to be interviewed and transported to the jail, Lewis said.

Lewis said Gov. Tom Corbett authorized use of the helicopter that transported him to the Pocono Raceway to assist in the capture. The helicopter provided aerial surveillance.

“I just think it was a very good gesture of him to allow us to use it,” Lewis said in a press conference Sunday afternoon.

The hunt for Botke of Pocono Summit began at about 10 p.m. Saturday and continued past midnight as residents waited in a long line of stopped traffic for police to reopen the neighborhood.

The incident began when a Pocono Mountain Regional Police patrol officer responded to a call about burglaries at a residence belonging to Botke’s mother on Nadine Boulevard, Chief Harry Lewis said early Sunday morning.

Botke had been involved in ongoing issues within his family and had stolen miscellaneous items from the home for drugs, Lewis said. Botke also was out on unsecured bail after allegedly stealing his younger brother’s car during their grandmother’s funeral last month.

While the officer was at the residence for the burglary reports Saturday, Botke arrived and was identified. The officer handcuffed him and placed him in the back of the patrol car, then moved to take statements from the victim.

Meanwhile, Botke manipulated his handcuffs and maneuvered into the front of the vehicle through a partition. He drove the police car a few blocks then abandoned it on Flag Court to flee on foot in an unknown direction.

Police found the vehicle on Flag Court and began a search of the area. Lewis said officers set up a perimeter and waited for the K-9 unit to arrive. They also conducted a door-to-door search in the area where the vehicle was found.

Police allowed neighbors, one who worried for several hours about getting insulin while blocked from the area, back into the neighborhood around 1:15 a.m. after not locating Botke.
“It happens,” Lewis said of escapes. “Some people who have been arrested before figure out ways to maneuver.”

An investigation into how Botke was able to escape is ongoing, Lewis said.