[url]http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/06/24/fake.gun.ap/index.html[/url]


TACOMA, Washington (AP) -- An inmate already sentenced to life in prison under the state's "three-strikes" law fled the courthouse using a fake gun made of cardboard and paper to fool guards, authorities said.

Harold McCord Jr., 36, remained at large Tuesday morning, the day after his escape from the Pierce County Courthouse.

With convictions for robbery, harassment, assault and kidnapping, he was sentenced recently to a life term under Washington state's "three strikes" law, sheriff's spokeswoman Lauren Pawlawski said.

"We're concerned that he's desperate because obviously, at this point, he doesn't have a lot to lose since he is facing life in prison without the chance of parole," she said.

McCord's handcuffs and shackles were removed while he was in court Monday for a hearing in yet another case.

"That was the opportunity he saw to flee and pull out this weapon he had manufactured," Pawlawski said.

He ran from the courtroom and was tackled by a guard. As they were fighting, he pulled out what appeared to be a handgun. Other officers lowered their weapons and he fled, Pawlawski said.

"The guys had to make a decision," sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer said, "and they made the decision not to get a correctional officer killed."

McCord tried to hijack one vehicle, but that driver drove away.

The next driver got out and the inmate drove away in his pickup truck, which was found about three miles away.

The fake gun was found in the road, officials said. It was made of cardboard from the backing of legal pads, stuffed with toilet paper and covered with newspaper blackened with ink from a ballpoint pen.

[b]And the crazed killer is shown below fleeing the courtroom brandishing a pair of scissors that he used to complete his escape.[/b]

[img]http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38430000/jpg/_38430229_peac_ap.jpg[/img]

Anyone notice that caption with the story ?


"25mm handgun"

Yep, heres the pic from the article.

[img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/LAW/06/24/fake.gun.ap/story.gun.ap.jpg[/img]


(edited to say: I think the "real" gun looks like a fake too.)

Just like in the movies!

NO, it was the guy with the fake gun. The guy with the scissors was stopped by a baby, that used his rock to break the scissors.

[img]http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~buckle/malachi/three/punch.jpg[/img]

What the hell does D.M.C. have to do with any thing?

You must be thinking of something else. Here is a composite of his buddy in the get-away car that had everybody covered with the paper. No baby with a rock could have stopped this guy.

[img]http://www.lukalips.com/images/drawings/bigHand.jpg[/img]

He just got his ass killed...

[url]http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/128134_capture25.html[/url]

Hmmm, guess the cardboard ones don't work so well against real ones.

BTW, is this why kids get suspended for drawing them in school?

Ah....a happy ending after all.


I'm surprised he didn't kidnapp another poor soul or kill someone....the deputies should have blown this guys brains out at the court room....


-HS