n the early hours of Saturday morning, an inmate at the Pontotoc County Justice Center, an inmate created a medical emergency and escaped custody while at the hospital.

Desmond Knighten, 26, swallowed the head of a razor blade Saturday morning. After telling the guards, he was taken to the emergency room for a CT scan, which confirmed the blade was lodged in his esophagus.

Pontotoc County Sheriff Arnold Scott said that’s when Knighten saw his opportunity.

“At that time, as he was coming back from the CT scan, he walked right past the detention officer, opened up the door to the parking lot, and just took off running across the parking lot,“ Sheriff Scott said. After stealing multiple cars, he was apprehended and back in custody by Sunday morning.

Knighten was taken back to the hospital to wait for the razor to pass.

He was scheduled to be released in July, but now he is facing charges for both the escape and vehicle thefts.

Thanks to the outstanding teamwork of the Ada Police Department, Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, Pontotoc County Emergency Management, and District 22 DA Erik Johnson— who didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and offer all of his resources —the search effort was swift and coordinated (even while juggling storm-spotting duties).

Major kudos to our deputies—especially Deputy Brent Rhoads, a nearly 20-year veteran— who knew just where to look. After a stolen vehicle report came in, Rhoads arrived where believed the escapee to be hiding, and the fugitive surrendered without incident. This was a full-team effort, both on and off shift.

Also a big thanks to Central Dispatch—the unsung heroes behind the scenes. They fielded calls from all over, kept information flowing, and coordinated efforts with precision. Their work was absolutely crucial to the operation. Great job, ladies and gents in comms—we couldn’t have done it without you!