From staff reports
An inmate at the Venagno County Jail is facing charges after he attempted to escape when he was taken to the Franklin Police Department to be fingerprinted on June 2.
While at the Franklin Police Department parking lot in a booking officer’s car, Tyler Butts, 26, of Taylor, Michigan, complained to the booking officer that the shackles on his feet were too tight, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Franklin Police Department through District Judge Matthew Kirtland’s office.
When the booking officer loosened the shackles, Butts kicked one of the shackles off when it was unlocked, shoved the booking officer and attempted to flee on foot, the complaint said.
The booking officer’s knees were scraped and bruised during the altercation, the complaint said.
Butts is facing felony charges of aggravated assault – attempts to cause or causes bodily injury to designated individuals, flight to avoid apprehension/trial/punishment and escape.
He was arraigned Tuesday before Kirtland.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on June 24 before Kirtland.
He is accused of being involved in a criminal conspiracy in 2017 to use a rented moving truck to make fraudulent credit card purchases from businesses in Venango, Erie and Crawford counties.
One of the businesses was Pioneer Electric in Franklin.
