Photo Courtesy of the NYPD
A 26-year-old murder suspect from Brooklyn was erroneously released from Riker’s Island early Tuesday morning. The New York Daily News reported that Christopher Buggs had been in lockup without bail for over three years awaiting trial when he was inadvertently released from the city’s largest jail. Authorities are now frantically looking for Buggs to bring him back in custody.
According to the Daily News, unnamed sources revealed that a magistrate determined that Buggs had served his 30-day sentence in a misdemeanor case. But the sentence was linked back to his murder charge instead of the misdemeanor. Correction officers released Buggs before realizing an error had been made.
“We are aware of this incident, and a full investigation into how this happened is underway,” Correction Department spokesman Peter Thorne told the news outlet. “Right now we are working with our law enforcement partners to return this individual to custody.”
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Police consider Buggs armed and dangerous and have warned the public to contact authorities rather than approach him.
In January 2018, the Daily News reported that Buggs allegedly shot and 55-year-old Ernest Brownlee outside of a Brooklyn bodega three times in the chest.
Police pursued the suspect for five days following the shooting. Buggs was caught and charged with Brownlee’s murder.
NYPD released Christopher Buggs’ photo, and are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.