On November 1st at around 7:05 p.m., police clocked a minivan travelling over the posted speed limit eastbound on E. Anamosa Street. Police stopped the vehicle in the area of E. Anamosa Street and Lando Lane. As police made contact with the driver, a naked male was observed in the back seat of the vehicle. He was asked to put on his clothes, and after putting on pants, he attempted to jump in the front seat of the vehicle and put the vehicle into drive. Police were able to grab the man and keep him from putting the vehicle into drive. He was pulled from the van and escaped the hold of the officer. He began running from the scene of the traffic stop, and police pursued on foot. As police caught up to the man, he was tasered and placed in handcuffs. The man was identified as 48-year-old Robert Verner of Box Elder. Police noted that the pants he was wearing had the word ‘inmate’ on them. Police confirmed with the Rapid City minimum security correctional facility that he had left the Rapid City Community Work Center without authorization. Police arrested Verner for Obstruction. A Pennington County Sheriff’s deputy was called out to investigate Verner’s departure from the work facility. He was arrested on the additional charge of Leaving a Correctional Facility Without Authorization.
