The escape of convicted killer Gonzalo Lopez in Texas resulted in the suspension of all prisoner transfers in that state.
Texas will resume the transportation of jail convicts the next week after a short halt caused by the escape of a convicted killer who attacked a guard and is suspected of killing five members of a family while on the run. The escaped inmate had attacked the guard and was on the run.
In May, Gonzalo Lopez, 46, broke free from a Texas prison bus while he was being transported to a medical checkup. Since then, the state’s Department of Criminal Justice has announced that it has implemented several additional safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“The safety of the public is our first duty and highest obligation,” said Director Bryan Collier of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. “We take this responsibility very seriously.” Following the completion of a review of the agency’s transportation procedures, new safety protocols will be enforced whenever inmates are transported across the state’s roadways.
Lopez fought a guard while he was still shackled, and then he took control of the bus and escaped once he won. After being on the run for three weeks, he was eventually slain in a gunfight with the police in San Antonio.
