State Agency Will Investigate Escape Of Wagoner County Inmates

The Wagoner County Sheriff's Office says there may be policy changes coming, after two inmates overpowered a jailer and escaped Monday night.

Sheriff Bob Colbert said a state agency will be conducting its own investigation into the jailbreak.

In less than 24 hours, Larry Cotton and Mickey Staggs were brought back into the Wagoner County Jail. But they were out for long enough to put residents on edge.

"We were scared, we were staying with my aunt out by the lake and we got a phone call from her daughter to be on the lookout. We turned on the news," said Kelly Chaves.

7/30/2013 Related Story: Both Escapees From Wagoner County Jail Back In Custody

"I was kind of scared. We made sure the doors were locked, the windows were locked," said Wagoner resident Darlene McKinney.

The Wagoner County Sheriff's Department says they rarely have problems within the jail and receive random inspections from the Oklahoma Department of Health.

"We got them back in jail where they belong and they're going to stay there," Colbert said.

People in Wagoner say they're happy it didn't take too long to catch the escapees.

"They did catch them in 24 hours, so I'm happy to hear that," Chaves said.

"Obviously, if we have two inmates last night out on the streets we did something wrong," Colbert said.

The sheriff said he has to report this incident to the state agency in charge of jail inspections.

Colbert said the jailer who was overpowered by the inmates has only been interviewed once since the escape. Investigators will speak with the jailer when he returns to work.