DURANT — A former high school football player being held at the juvenile detention broke free from a deputy and ran Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Officers from several different agencies swarmed the neighborhood near the courthouse to apprehend a juvenile they said escaped after being escorted from a court hearing.

Deputy Jon Smith said he was leading the teen, who was handcuffed in front, back to the juvenile detention center. The boy bolted northbound while Smith was closing the gate to the center.

“He had been in court and was being escorted back to the detention center when he decided to break and run,” said Undersheriff Ken Golden.

Officers from the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Durant Police, Calera Police and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol swooped in and set up a perimeter around North Fourth Avenue at Beech and Elm streets.

The 17-year-old suspect was found in the backyard of a residence in the 400 block of Fifth Avenue approximately 15 minutes later, according to the sheriff’s office. He lost both shoes during the foot chase.

Deputy Smith pulled his right hamstring while chasing the teen.

Authorities did not reveal the boy’s name due to his age. According to police radio broadcasts he had been charged with kidnapping.

The juvenile is a former Durant High School football player.

He now will be facing an escape from detention charge. The case has been referred to juvenile services although the sheriff’s office said he could be adjudicated as an adult.

In other crime news, scam artists bilked a Durant woman out of almost $5,000 after she fell for a scam. According to a report last month by Durant Police Patrolman Stanford Logan, the victim said she received a $4,996 check in the mail on Dec. 15 with a letter stating she was chosen to participate in a “mystery shopper” survey.

The letter listed retailers where she was supposed to spend the money and the victim said she deposited the check.

According to the report, she dialed the phone number listed on the letter and spoke with a woman named “Pam.” She then went to Walmart to spend $50 as instructed by the letter. She also made a $2,835 Moneygram transfer to an account in Canada.

The report stated she then went to Nichols Dollar Saver to make a $1,612 Western Union transaction to the Canadian account. One week later, her bank notified her that the cashier’s check she had received had been canceled due to stop payment from the paying party. The woman dialed the phone number again and was told to leave a message.

Copies of the cashiers check and the Western Union and Moneygram tickets were turned over to police.