photo by: Chris Conde

Lawrence Memorial Hospital, October 2018.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says a Lawrence man, arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, briefly escaped law enforcement custody when he bolted from the hospital on Wednesday.

After his arrest, John E. Ouellette, 40, was taken from the jail via ambulance to the Lawrence hospital for a medical reason, said Sgt. Kristen Channel of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. She said deputies were in the process of transporting Ouellette back to the jail when he ran out of the hospital doors.

Ouellette made it about a block, Channel said. After a short foot pursuit, deputies caught him and took him on to the jail.

He’s now charged with aggravated escape from custody, a felony, for allegedly escaping while being held on another felony charge, according to the complaint in Douglas County District Court.

That felony charge is aggravated assault, for allegedly threatening a woman with a hammer earlier Wednesday, according to the complaint in the domestic violence case. He’s also charged with criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor, for allegedly breaking the woman’s windshield.

Ouellette was being held without bond pending his first court appearance on the two cases, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.