Escaped Prisoner Caught After Trying To Buy Call Of Duty During Lockdown

An escaped prisoner has been caught after venturing outside to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, according to UK police [via VGC].

Image from Black Ops cold war Zombies
Credit: Activision

Clint Butler, age 37, was previously serving a 17-year extended sentence for various crimes, including armed robbery and was due for release in 2024. However, the 36-year-old prisoner managed to break out of HMP Spring Hill open prison in Buckinghamshire last year, before going into hiding. Despite being a wanted man, Butler apparently couldn’t resist the temptation of a shopping trip, one that he claims was necessary to relieve the monotony of lockdown.

The escapee was apprehended in January after being spotted in Birmingham City centre by PCs Mark Owen and Allison Brown. When police questioned Butler and his friends about why they were in town during the lockdown, his friend remarked, “I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown”.

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Credit: Activision

Being questioned clearly didn’t sit well with Butler, as when the police asked for his details, he reportedly tried to make a run for it.

Butler was detained after being subdued with pepper spray. The officers then discovered who he was once upon checking his details. According to the police, Butler is now back behind bars, serving an additional 13 months for fleeing custody and six months for assaulting an officer. In a statement, Supt Nick Rowe called Bulter’s actions “idiotic” while praising the work of his officers:

This was great work by our officers, acting on instinct that there was something not quite right and then challenging the men.

cod cold war
Credit: Activision

The situation escalated really quickly, but both PCs put their training to good effect by restraining Butler, subduing him and getting him safely in handcuffs, while also calling for back-up from officers nearby. I’d like to thank the security staff who came to help our officers.

It also shows the power of body-worn video, with the officers turning their cameras on before they started speaking to the men. It meant the whole episode was clearly caught on camera, and there was no doubt about what happened.

Image of box art from Cold War
Credit: Activision

Quite why he decided to risk being returned to prison by making the idiotic decision to come into town during lockdown with a friend to buy a video game will remain a bit of a mystery.

You’d think that spending lockdown at home with nothing to do would be better than prison. Activision should perhaps take this as a compliment. I mean, not every game is worth risking arrest for!

Featured Image Credit: Activision