Shawnee Homeowner Speaks Out After Catching Escapee

A Shawnee man found an escaped convict inside his home and was able to hold him at gunpoint until police arrived, but not before the convict led him on a chase through the house and outside of the neighborhood.

Wednesday, October 15th 2014, 6:44 pm

By: News 9


A Shawnee man found an escaped convict inside his home and was able to hold him at gunpoint until police arrived, but not before the convict led him on a chase through the house and outside of the neighborhood.

Jason Hensley says when he found 22-year-old Forrest Devitt inside his home on Rickey Rd. on Monday morning, he was not only filthy, but practically naked, only wearing a pair of gray shorts.

“He was covered in mud, wet, he was bleeding from his head,” said Hensley. “He just seemed out of sorts, like maybe he had some mental issues or maybe he was on drugs of something.”

Devitt had been missing from the Jim E Hamilton Correctional Center in Le Flore County since September 2, where he was serving a 10-year prison sentence for an armed robbery in Tulsa.

Police considered him armed a dangerous, but when Hensley found him, he was unarmed. Hensley had no idea about Devitt's criminal past. And little did Devitt know Hensley was still inside the home getting ready for work.

“There was only one vehicle in the drive, so he probably thought everyone was gone for the day,” said Hensley.

When Hensley went to his home office to get his laptop, he made the scary discovery.

“I flipped the light on. I looked down and I see a guy laying on my floor,” said Hensley. “I believe he got in the back door after my wife left to take my daughter to school.”

Hensley says Devitt tried to hide half of his body in the closet, but had his feet hanging out. Hensley says by then his wife had returned, and he told her to grab his gun out of the safe and call police, which she did. And then Hensley pointed the gun at Devitt, who tried to talk his way out of his predicament.

“You know he was saying ‘Hey man, I'm not a violent guy, not a violent guy.' Well you're in my house,” said Hensley.

According to both Hensley and the police report, Devitt then tried to run and escape through a window, but couldn't. He then ran through the house, trying to find a way out. He finally did and ended up outside, and the entire time Hensley was chasing him, with his gun drawn and pointed at the suspect. Hensley never fired his gun, however, and kept a safe distance away.

Hensley credits his military training for keeping a cool head. And he credits Shawnee police for not citing him or arresting him for holding Devitt at gunpoint outside. Hensley says Devitt tried to run down the street and scale a fence during his getaway, but ended up back in Hensley's backyard.

Shawnee Police ended up using a taser gun on Devitt and he is now back in custody. Police say at first Devitt refused to reveal his name, stating they would find out soon enough. They did through his fingerprints.

Police say earlier he had been seen on an elderly neighbor's back porch, before he was caught at Hensley's home. Hensley says had he known the half-naked man inside his home was an ex-con, things might not have gone the same way.

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