An "extremely dangerous and violent" inmate nearly escaped when he kicked open the door of his jail cell at Whatcom County Jail at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.
Christian Dillard, 23, was being held in a secure unit downtown when he kicked open his cell door after the door lock experienced mechanical failure, and he tried to escape. Deputies cornered him and tried to persuade him to go back to his cell.
A special unit of deputies forced Dillard into a single-person cell. No one was injured during the incident, according to a statement from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
The lock on Dillard's cell was replaced in 2020 as part of a remodeling project at the jail, the statement said.
Ballot initiatives to build a new jail failed in 2015 and 2017, and Whatcom County Officials are preparing to place another jail tax on the November ballot. That measure would build a new and larger facility and include provisions for mental health and substance abuse treatment, along with programs to keep individuals out of jail.
"Mr. Dillard is an extremely dangerous and violent inmate," Sheriff Bill Elfo said in a statement. "He previously committed a very serious assault upon a corrections deputy that resulted in a debilitating traumatic brain injury."
Dillard was being held on charges of second-degree burglary and second-degree malicious mischief felonies from May 21. He was sent to the Anne Deacon Center for Hope and while there, faced additional charges for leaving the facility without permission. In addition, he is facing charges of third-degree escape and assault, and first-degree criminal trespassing.
Another charge of malicious mischief was added June 13 stemming from an incident where Dillard allegedly used a telephone to break the security glass in his cell door.
