Irving Police Chief Lowell Cannaday Discusses Manhunt for Seven Prison Escapees
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have a completely different legal situation taking place in the state of Texas. It is there that law enforcement officials are searching for seven escaped convicts. The men are wanted in connection with the killing of a police officer during a Christmas Eve robbery. The convicts broke out of a South Texas prison two weeks ago. Yesterday, officers surrounded an Arlington hotel, acting on a tip that some of the escapees might be inside. Authorities later determined that the suspects were not there, so the manhunt continues. Irving Police Chief Lowell Cannaday now joins us on the phone with more on the case. Chief, good morning, thanks for joining us.</s>CHIEF LOWELL CANNADAY, IRVING POLICE: Good morning, Daryn. And thank you having me.</s>KAGAN: Any new leads on where these seven men might be?</s>CANNADAY: Nothing of substance at this point. We are, of course, receiving tips all the time, and we are following up on each one of the tips individually. So far none of them has passed out. The tip that we had yesterday seemed to be the strongest one that we had on the Arlington hotel. However, as you stated, that simply did not work out.</s>KAGAN: When these seven men broke out of prison, they left a note behind saying: This is not the last you will hear from us.</s>CANNADAY: Yes, they did.</s>KAGAN: These are men who are definitely armed and dangerous. They broke out of prison and they actually stole guns and ammunition from the prison as they left?</s>CANNADAY: Yes, they took guns and ammunition with them when they left, and in the robbery of the Oshman (ph) store here in Irving.</s>KAGAN: Where we should mention a police officer lost his life?</s>CANNADAY: Yes, they killed one of my officers, and they did get additional guns, and an undetermined amount money from this location too.</s>KAGAN: On the idea that you think that these seven men are responsible for the killing of the officer and also that robbery, any clues you are able to pick up from that scene of that crime?</s>CANNADAY: Well, of course, we're still doing extensive processing on every piece of evidence, or presumed evidence that we were able to collect at the scene, and we haven't reached a large number of conclusions yet with regard to that evidence. But we're working on it all of the time.</s>KAGAN: But you think these seven men are still together?</s>CANNADAY: It's our feeling that they are, yes.</s>KAGAN: And what gives you that indication?</s>CANNADAY: Well, it's been two weeks since they broke out of prison, and they were still together this last weekend. So, apparently, they have some sort of a plan in mind. The plan that they used to get out of the prison was very well thought out and coordinated.</s>KAGAN: How did they do that? What did they do?</s>CANNADAY: Well, actually I would probably refer you to the prison authorities on that. We received a briefing on it, and I can't give you the exact details on that.</s>KAGAN: You could just say it was very well thought out.</s>CANNADAY: Yes, it was very well thought out, and the plan that they had here in Irving was a very well thought out plan also.</s>KAGAN: And these are men who were in prison already for violent crimes.</s>CANNADAY: Yes, that is true.</s>KAGAN: Including two convicted murderers.</s>CANNADAY: That is right.</s>KAGAN: And we are in a state that is very successful in carrying out the death penalty. So you have men who now are going to be facing charges of killing a police officer, could conceivably face the death penalty. They are out there, they are armed and dangerous, they would have nothing to lose about killing other people?</s>CANNADAY: That's probably what troubles us more than anything else. We are encouraging all of the agencies throughout the state and throughout the nation to be extremely careful, as this point, because these people do have very little to lose. They are facing capital murder charges.</s>KAGAN: Irving Police Chief Lowell Cannaday, thank you very much. We will continue to track that story, as you look for those seven prison escapees.