DeSoto County Sheriff provides update on escaped inmate

More details are emerging about how a DeSoto County inmate escaped from police custody.

Sheriff Thomas Tuggle held a news conference Wednesday to explain the events that led Joshua Zimmerman to escape from law enforcement ahead of his scheduled court appearance Friday morning.

Zimmerman is charged with several crimes, including attempted murder, in Southaven. He also faces charges in Houston, Texas, where he was allegedly involved in the shooting death of a woman.

Tuggle said the inmate, believed to be a fugitive on the run, found a way to escape by exploiting a flaw in the courthouse design, according to a WREG report. A temporary citywide lockdown was imposed after Zimmerman left, but he was one step ahead of authorities.

According to the sheriff, Zimmerman crossed the street and asked a stranger on his way to Memphis, Tennessee, for a ride. The inmate, still in his pajamas and shower shoes, told the driver that he had just had an altercation with his wife and needed to leave town.

U.S. Marshals are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Zimmerman's arrest. The fugitive is considered armed and dangerous and is believed to have shaved his beard after leaving town. Anyone who comes into contact with him is asked to contact law enforcement immediately.

Tuggle promises that Zimmerman will be captured by law enforcement, although a general description of his potential location has not been made public.