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State Police Capture Escaped Inmate Along I-78 in Easton After Hourslong Manhunt
Blair Cressman, 42, of Williams Township, was arrested Tuesday night after fleeing custody outside a Northampton County courtroom, prompting a multi-hour search that ended with a helicopter spotting him along Interstate 78. A state trooper suffered a minor injury during the incident.
A man who fled police custody outside a Northampton County courtroom Tuesday afternoon was back in custody by nightfall after a search that stretched across Easton and ended along Interstate 78, Pennsylvania State Police said.
Blair Cressman, 42, of Williams Township, ran from authorities around 3:15 p.m. after he was arraigned on charges including strangulation, simple assault and related offenses, according to state police. The circumstances of how he slipped away outside the court were not immediately detailed.
The search drew on state police resources, including a helicopter crew that located Cressman near the interstate around 6:30 p.m. Troopers then took him into custody. State police said Cressman will face additional charges connected to the escape.
One state trooper sustained a minor injury during the incident, according to state police. The agency did not provide further information on the trooper's condition.
The escape and the response remained under investigation Tuesday night, state police said. Authorities did not say whether Cressman had obtained a lawyer or when he would appear in court on the new escape-related charges.
For Easton residents, the hours between the afternoon escape and the evening capture meant an visible law enforcement presence and a period of uncertainty, particularly for those traveling the I-78 corridor where the search concluded. The case also raises questions about security procedures at the courthouse where Cressman was last in custody before fleeing.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police.