Deputy Tyrique Harper Resigns; ‘Likely Sleeping’ When Inmate Escaped Hospital

In the fallout of the escape of inmate Anthony Romine from Flagler County Sheriff’s Office custody at the AdventHealth hospital on SR-100 in Palm Coast, one deputy has resigned his position. Tyrique Harper, the deputy assigned to guard Romine while he was being treated at the hospital, was ‘likely asleep’ according to a report from the FCSO on their ongoing criminal investigation.

The escape occurred on July 27th, when 29-year-old Romine suffered an apparent fall at the county jail while in custody for petty theft, counterfeiting, and violation of pretrial release. He was at-large for some seven hours before being located in the woods near SR-100 and I-95 after an Amoco employee identified him asking to use the store’s phone.

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How an Inmate Escaped for Hours

What’s now also known thanks to the FCSO’s update on the case is that Deputy Harper was on watch guarding Romine to ensure he didn’t leave hospital grounds. Through circumstances that seem to implicate him in substantial negligence of his duty, Harper allowed Romine to do just that. Harper was initially relieved of law enforcement duties and placed on administrative duty as a preliminary review of the incident began and eventually a full investigation. Before that investigation could begin Harper resigned his job with the FCSO, concluding an employment that had begun in June 2021.

Inmate Anthony Romine, accused of escaping FCSO custody while at the hospital. ⓒ Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility

Beyond that, a report on the incident authored by Harper indicated that due to the injuries sustained by Romine during his fall, he’d been deemed unable to walk and/or move some of the ligaments in his legs, and thus had been secured in his bed in his such a way as to allow to him to potentially escape. Whether this was in accordance with standard procedure on hospitalized inmates is unclear. It was also alleged that Romine faked a medical ailment to aid his escape.

By the nature of the crimes he’s accused of, Romine was apparently able to at least get to the Amoco station across the busy street under his own power; surveillance images from the hospital appear to depict him leaving on-foot. He was found buried in underbrush at the southwest corner of SR-100 and I-95, where he was attacked by an FCSO K9 and arrested by a large law enforcement presence, several of whom were carrying rifles in preparation for a worst-case scenario. The FCSO has indicated he may have been waiting for a ride back to his home state of Ohio, though his address in the Flagler Jail’s booking system indicates he resides in Ormond Beach.

“Our review of this incident indicates there was a failure to follow policies that are designed to keep the community safe and an inmate in custody when they are taken to an outside facility for medical treatment,” said FCSO Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge. “Fortunately, Romine was apprehended, and no additional crimes were committed by him in his escape attempt. Sheriff [Rick] Staly expects all deputies will follow our policies and not sleep while on-duty. Our Agency motto is ‘An Honor to Serve, A Duty to Protect,’ and that did not occur in this incident by Deputy Harper.”