KY man who escaped handcuffs, stole police cruiser arrested, officers say
Police in Eastern Kentucky have recaptured a man who escaped custody and stole a sheriff’s office cruiser, according to the Perry County Sheriff’s Office.
The cruiser, a Dodge Charger, was stolen from Perry County Park around 8 p.m. Wednesday by Chris Combs, 30. The sheriff’s office said Combs was in custody in the back seat of the Charger but managed to break out of handcuffs behind his back and drive off in the Charger.
Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced that Combs was back in custody after a foot pursuit. The cruiser was found in good condition by Kentucky State Police on Dusty Road.
“We understand some of you have had a good chuckle out of this. I promise you, Mr. Combs will not be chuckling for years to come with loss of his freedom and being off the streets,” Perry County Sheriff Joe Engle said in a Facebook post.
Before fleeing in the cruiser, Combs was arrested on an indictment warrant from a drug case, according to the sheriff’s office. Court records indicate Combs was indicted June 12 on charges of methamphetamine trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, wanton endangerment, fleeing police and other traffic charges.
It was unclear if those charges were the ones for which Combs was arrested on Wednesday. The sheriff’s office said they had recovered 40 grams of methamphetamine and several thousand dollars during the drug investigation.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
