Escaped Inmate Back In Custody After Being Found In Coweta

An inmate from a facility in McAlester escaped and was on the run for more than 12 hours. He is back in custody Friday.

The Wagoner County Sheriff's Office said they captured Shelby Goodnight in Coweta Friday afternoon.

Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said five agencies worked to locate Goodnight, but he credits their K-9 unit for tracking and making the arrest.

“Anytime somebody is desperate enough to break out of a penitentiary, they're a threat to the community,” Sheriff Elliott said.

Officers with state, local, and federal agencies all worked together to track down Goodnight, following his escape from the Jackie Brannon Correctional Center in McAlester.

The Department of Corrections said Goodnight escaped the prison just after 10 p.m. Thursday night.

Authorities said they didn’t have any leads until he stole a truck from a McDonald's in Eufaula Friday morning.

Deputy Ted Cook found the stolen truck near Highway 51 and chased after Goodnight until he wrecked on 141st and ran away, Sheriff Elliott said.

“He has many, many family members in this area, and we suspect he was trying to make it to one of the family member's houses,” Sheriff Elliott noted.

Law enforcement quickly setup a perimeter as they tried to track him down.

The Sheriff said shortly after, a neighbor in the area spotted Goodnight and called 911.

A deputy used a K-9 to track Goodnight for over a mile and a half into a heavily wooded area, Sheriff Elliot said.

The Sheriff said Goodnight surrendered when he saw the dog.

“It's not untypical when they see this dog, they don't want to get dog bit. So, we give them plenty of opportunity to surrender,” Sheriff Elliott explained.

Records show Goodnight was serving time for auto theft, larceny, and burglary with charges from Cherokee and Wagoner Counties.

Goodnight was also convicted of another larceny charge in Tulsa in 2015.