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Pittsfield Man Who Escaped Custody In 2019 Convicted On Multiple Charges

A mugshot of a white man with long hair in an orange prison jumpsuit
Berkshire County Sheriff's Office
Harry Chandler's wanted poster from the manhunt triggered by his 2019 escape.

The Berkshire County District Attorney’s office says a Pittsfield, Massachusetts man who escaped custody and triggered a manhunt in 2019 has been convicted.

Harry Chandler, 35, pleaded guilty to a number of charges – including three separate counts of assault and battery – in Berkshire Superior Court Monday, where he was sentenced to two to four years in in state prison.

Chandler, who was in police custody due to cases ranging from larceny to resisting arrest, set off a multi-agency search when he evaded law enforcement last year.

“On July 8, 2019, Sheriff’s Deputies transported Chandler from the jail to Berkshire Medical Center for medical care. Chandler then assaulted a correctional officer, a nurse, and another BMC staff member and fled the hospital,” said Public Information Officer Andrew McKeever of the Berkshire DA’s office.

He was arrested in Pittsfield three days later. Chandler also pleaded guilty to all of his outstanding cases, for which he will serve concurrent jail time.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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