Armed robber who escaped jail is caught by police after coming out of hiding ‘to buy Call Of Duty’

Fugitive armed robber is caught… by the LOCKDOWN police: Prisoner who escaped jail is back behind bars after officer quizzes him over shopping trip to buy Call Of Duty

  • Clint Butler was serving 17-year extended sentence at HMP Spring Hill, Bucks
  • He absconded in November before Thames Valley Police issued him as wanted
  • West Midlands Police stopped Butler last month after acting suspiciously
  • Butler then kicked one officer in the groin and punched another in the face
  • He was restrained and arrested before eventually admitting he was on the run 
  • He has since been jailed for 13 months for absconding and six months for assault

A fugitive armed robber was caught by the lockdown police, after an officer quizzed him during a shopping trip he’d taken ‘to buy Call of Duty’. 

Clint Butler, 36, escaped from Spring Hill open prison in Buckinghamshire while serving a 17-year extended sentence for robbery and firearms offences.

He was due to be released in 2024 but fled the jail at midnight on November 28 last year, sparking a major police manhunt.

Dramatic footage shows the moment he was caught by chance by police as he was shopping in Martineau Way in Birmingham city centre with a friend.

Bodycam footage shows PCs Mark Owen and Allison Brown approach the pair on January 13 and ask them why they were not at home with restrictions in place.

Butler replies: ‘I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown.’ 

Restrictions announced on January 4 urge people to stay at home and only go to the shop for ‘basic necessities’.

It was then that Butler kicked one officer in the groin and punched another in the face before he was eventually restrained using incapacitant spray and arrested.

He initially gave officers a false name before admitting he was on the run.

Butler has since been jailed for 13 months for absconding from prison and six months consecutively for assaulting the officers. 

Fugitive armed robber Clint Butler was caught on camera attacking police officers in Birmingham city centre after coming out of hiding to buy Call of Duty

PCs Mark Owen and Allison Brown spotted Butler making an abrupt change in direction as the officers approached on January 13.       

PC Owen asked Butler why he was in town during the coronavirus lockdown before his friend replied: ‘I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown.’

The officer then told the pair he would be checking their details which prompted Butler to lash out and kick him in the groin.

Butler had been serving a 17-year extended sentence at HMP Spring Hill open prison, Buckinghamshire

Butler had been serving a 17-year extended sentence at HMP Spring Hill open prison, Buckinghamshire

But Butler lost his footing and slipped to the ground. 

Officers rushed to tackle him and called for back-up as the tussle continued before Butler punched PC Brown in the face.

Eventually Butler was restrained using incapacitant spray and handcuffed as security guards came to help the officers.  

He initially gave a false name, and admitted having cannabis on him, but police were able established his real identity.

Butler is now back behind bars after being jailed for 13 months for absconding from prison, and six months consecutively for assaulting the officers.  

Superintendent Nick Rowe said: ‘This was great work by our officers, acting on instinct that there was something not quite right and then challenging the men.

‘The situation escalated really quickly, but both PCs put their training to good effect by restraining Butler, subduing him and getting him safely in handcuffs, while also calling for back-up from officers nearby.

‘I’d like to thank the security staff who came to help our officers.

He kicked one officer in the groin and punched another in the face before he was eventually restrained using incapacitant spray and arrested

He kicked one officer in the groin and punched another in the face before he was eventually restrained using incapacitant spray and arrested

Butler (pictured during the tussle) has since been jailed for 13 months for absconding from prison and six months consecutively for assaulting the officers

Butler (pictured during the tussle) has since been jailed for 13 months for absconding from prison and six months consecutively for assaulting the officers

‘It also shows the power of body-worn video, with the officers turning their cameras on before they started speaking to the men. 

‘It meant the whole episode was clearly caught on camera and there was no doubt about what happened.

‘Quite why he decided to risk being returned to prison by making the idiotic decision to come into town during lockdown with a friend to buy a video game will remain a bit of a mystery.’