Police arrest wrong man in hunt for naked fugitive
Police on the Sunshine Coast have wrongly arrested an innocent resident hanging out his washing.
The officers were chasing naked fugitive Dean Kenning, who escaped from the Maroochydore Court House on Monday, when they came across local resident Kain Gilgen at his washing line.
“The cops were jumping over my fence yelling ‘get down on the ground, get down on the ground’,” Mr Gilgen said.
“I gave them my ID and then they’ve realised they’ve got the wrong guy.
“Seeing the faces of the cops who stuff up – priceless.”
Mr Gilgen was held for 10 minutes without explanation before officers realised their mistake.
Kenning, who lost his clothes in a scuffle with a police prosecutor inside the courthouse, was able to climb up onto a roof before being spotted.
“We can only go by the information that is provided,” a police spokesperson said.
Kenning remained on the roof well into the night before climbing down a palm tree and sliding to the ground.
That’s when members of the public helped officers locate the escapee.
It’s the second escape from the Maroochydore Court House, with an investigation to be launched.
Two officers were bitten by a dog during the man hunt, but did not sustain serious injuries.
