**Escaped Ex-Police Chief Recaptured After Nearly Two Weeks on the Run**

Grant Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape, has been recaptured after escaping prison. Authorities announced that Hardin was found Friday afternoon, around 1.5 miles from Calico Rock North Central Unit, the facility he escaped from on May 25.

The Izard County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Hardin’s identity through fingerprint analysis. Reports indicate that Hardin, 56, managed to break out of prison by wearing a corrections officer's uniform and pushing a cart, allowing him to pass through a security checkpoint unnoticed.

Local law enforcement, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, located Hardin near Moccasin Creek in Izard County. The Arkansas Department of Corrections stated that tracking dogs were utilized to pick up Hardin's scent, leading to his apprehension shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday.

The escape sparked a significant manhunt involving helicopters, drones, and K9 officers. A tactical unit from the U.S. Border Patrol, known as BORTAC, was also brought in from Texas to aid in the search. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed her gratitude for the cooperative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, notably acknowledging the Trump administration for dispatching the Border Patrol team integral to Hardin’s capture.

Hardin had pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder for the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton. During the search, a combined reward of $25,000 was offered by the FBI and U.S. Marshals for information leading to his capture.

The escape prompted Arkansas officials to urge the local community to remain vigilant. Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long voiced concerns for public safety during the manhunt, fearing that Hardin might harm someone before being caught. Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who contributed to Hardin’s conviction, described him as a sociopath.