Authorities searching for escaped inmate in Coffee County

COFFEE CO., AL (WSFA) - Authorities are searching for Jeffrey Scott, who escaped from a work release center in Mobile earlier this week. The inmate has been at large for over 24 hours.

A manhunt in Coffee County began on Tuesday during an attempted traffic stop in the New Hope Community. The driver took off, eventually wrecking his vehicle.

Officers arrested one person, but the escaped inmate ran into a nearby wooded area.

"I'm hoping we can locate him before he hurts someone. I can't say he would, but we don't want to take any chances and when we locate him, I hope we don't have to hurt him," said Chief Deputy Ronnie Whitworth.

The search area on Wednesday expanded, since Scott wasn't found on Tuesday.

The Coffee County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents of potential dangers as authorities say he is armed and considered dangerous.

Edgar Simmons, who lives nearby, is taking extra security precautions and checking places around his property where Scott could be hiding.

"I normally don't even lock stuff around here, but I'm going around locking the buildings," Simmons said.

Police say Scott was spotted on surveillance at a nearby home. Investigators are reviewing that video and plan to release updated photos of him.

If you spot the suspect, call police immediately.

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