SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. -- Bedford County Sheriff's deputies have still been trying to track down 24-year-old Tristan McMahon after he escaped from the courthouse moments after being sentenced on drug and weapons charges last week.
While county leaders have now been considering security changes to the courthouse, deputies had their hands full tracking down yet another escaped inmate on Friday.
Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing said changes are coming at the courthouse where McMahon was able to escape.
"To be honest with you, this escape really boils down to human error and some things not being done correctly," Sheriff Swing said.
He said inmates being transferred will now have to wear shackles, and he's looking at potentially closing extra entrances to the courthouse, leaving only one or two open.
Swing said the courthouse building design -- which dated back to the 1800s -- doesn't emphasize security.
"That was a time when the courthouse was the center of the community, and I think that's why it has a door on every side -- north, south, east and west," Swing said.
While the search for McMahon continued, deputies said they had to deal with yet another escape late last week when Dominique Ridley ran away from the county workhouse, which houses less serious, non-violent offenders.
"Once again, it was human error," Swing said. "A door was left open, and he had just been transferred from the jail to the workhorse."
Deputies said Ridley ran across the street to his grandmother's apartment, where they found him hiding less than an hour later.
"Totally different setting, a different situation. I think when it rains it pours, but fortunately we did catch him shortly after his escape," Swing said.
The sheriff said neither the captured escapee nor McMahon were considered violent.
As for where McMahon may be, the sheriff said there's a good chance he's still in the state or even in middle Tennessee.
