Deputy praised in inmate escape incident

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to address Monday’s highly publicized inmate escape attempt in Santa Cruz.
On Monday afternoon, Maurice Ainsworth, a 6-foot, 7-inch, 270 pound inmate awaiting trial for kidnapping and robbery in 2009, was in the process of having his shackles reattached following an MRI scan at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz when he overpowered his armed escort and fled.
Despite being struck repeatedly in the head and not having sensitivity in her right index finger after Ainsworth bit her, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Cathy Bramanti managed to get to her feet, pursue the man and engage him a second time in the Dominican parking lot.
In the parking lot Ainsworth wrestling Bramanti’s taser from her hands and twice used it to incapacitate the deputy.
Ainsworth then reportedly armed himself with the deputy’s pistol and spare ammunition, fired the weapon in the direction of a bystander attempting to intervene, and escaped into the residential area of Santa Cruz surrounding near DeLaveaga Elementary School, breaking into homes and taking hostages along the way.
Despite her injuries, Bramanti managed to radio in the situation and alert law enforcement
He was captured at about 5 p.m. in the second-story bathroom a home on English Drive with the help of the SWAT team and a K-9 unit from the Capitola Police Department.
Both Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak and Santa Cruz Police Department Chief Kevin Vogel applauded Bramanti’s efforts to stop Ainsworth, citing her bravery.
“She did everything in her power (to stop Ainsworth),” Wowak said. “The fact that she got up, chased him down and re-engaged him demonstrates her courage.”
Bramati is at home with minor injuries.
Chief Deputy Jeff Marsh, head of corrections for the Santa Cruz County Jail, stated that prior to Monday’s incident, Ainsworth had shown no signs of violence and had been to Dominican several times before with a single escort without incident.
“If we feel there’s a threat, two-person transport is always an option,” Marsh said.
Several people at the press-conference questioned the logic of transporting an inmate the size of an NFL linebacker with only one guard.
“It has been our procedure to use one officer to transport inmates,” Wowak said. “That practice must be reviewed after yesterday. There is no question in my mind.”