Officials say 2 inmates escaped from jail

Two men, both considered dangerous, have escaped from the Jefferson County jail, but officials are not exactly sure when they left.

Officials with the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Detention Center said that at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, the Jefferson County sheriff’s office discovered two of its detainees were missing from the jail.

“The sheriff’s office believes the individuals may have escaped within the last 48 hours,” stated a news release from the sheriff’s office.

“Right now, we can’t say specifically,” said Maj. John Bean, the public information officer with the sheriff’s office. “We had a head count this morning and they were missing, but it’s really just a guess as we don’t know at what point they were not in the facility.”

Bean said a combination of law officers were involved in the search, including Pine Bluff Police Department Vice and Narcotics unit, the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

“We have two K-9 units working,” Bean said, adding that the investigators are looking into leads regarding the escapees and into background information about them, including their past known acquaintances. “They are both young men from the area.”

Asked how the men might have gotten free, Bean said that information was part of the investigation into what happened and not something his office wanted to make public at the present time.

“All efforts are being made at this moment to apprehend these suspects,” the sheriff’s office said.

The two detainees are identified as follows:

Noah Roush is a white man, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, approximately 180 pounds and 22 years old. Roush was being detained on probable cause in residential burglary and theft of property, and he was also a suspect in a homicide. Roush has a scar on the right side of his head.

Jatonia Bryant is a Black man, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, approximately 145 pounds, and 23 years old. Bryant was being detained on probable cause in a capital murder case.

“Both individuals are to be considered dangerous and should only be approached by law enforcement personnel,” stated the news release.

To help get the word out to the public, the Jefferson County MECA office is using a “reverse 911” system in which calls are going out to residents in the county with recorded messages about what happened and for them to be extra cautious.

“We are hearing that some of these calls are showing up on phones as scams, but it’s actually from our communications center informing people about the escapees,” Bean said.

If you have any information as to the location of Roush or Bryant, or anyone who may have assisted them in their escape, you are asked to notify the sheriff’s office at the phone numbers listed above or contact the Metropolitan Emergency Communication Association at (870) 541-5300.