73
Police officers were preparing paperwork Tuesday morning to have an inmate held on a California extradition warrant for a robbery when the Oahu Community Correctional Center released him.
Department of Public Safety officials maintain OCCC made no mistake when it released Russell R. Webb, wanted on a $50,000 warrant, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
It is standard procedure to run a warrant check when an individual is arrested, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said Wednesday.
“If a warrant is located, a detainer is filed prior to the prisoner’s release,” she said. “HPD officers were in the process of filing a detainer when the prisoner was released from OCCC (Tuesday) morning.”
Law enforcement searched for Webb Tuesday and he was discovered and arrested six hours later at 2:30 p.m. in the Punchbowl area.
OCCC released Webb because he served his five days for a petty misdemeanor and no detainer had been received by the jail to hold him past his scheduled release time.
DPS defended OCCC’s actions.
DPS “jails and prisons abide solely by court and parole orders for the intake and release of those assigned to our custody,” the department said.
“We cannot hold those assigned to our custody beyond their court/parole ordered release date without legitimate documentation that directs continued incarceration.”
By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines.
Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.