CHOWAN COUNTY, N.C. — The Chowan County Sheriff's Office is actively searching for an inmate who escaped from the Chowan County Jail Thursday with nothing but a toothbrush.
"The individual had sharpened the toothbrush on the ground to ultimately make a homemade weapon and then threatened jail staffers," said Chowan County Chief Deputy John McArthur.
According to a news release from the sheriff's office, deputies responded to the jail at 5:30 a.m. in reference to the incident.
When they arrived, they found that the jail staff had been held hostage by the inmate before he escaped.
"One of our staff was held in a headlock and a shank was held up to his neck and he was forced from one point to another," said McArthur.
No one was injured. However, McArthur said those deputies spent the next eight hours trapped in a jail cell.
"I have spoken to both of those staff members who went through that traumatic experience. There has not been enough time for this to sink into them for just how much danger they were in," said McArthur.
Now, authorities are searching for Russell Jay Heath, 47.
Heath is 6'0" and roughly 190 pounds. He wore khaki pants, a blue flannel shirt and a white t-shirt, along with white socks but no shoes and a pair of glasses.
Heath was being held in jail for a financial crime that was considered to be non-violent.
McArthur said if Heath is found he will face an additional five charges for his escape including two charges of second-degree kidnapping - outstanding, and two charges of assault on a government official, and a charge for escaping a local county jail.
According to the news release, state and federal authorities have joined the sheriff's office in the search.
If you have any information or if you've seen Heath, call the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office at 252-482-8484 or their anonymous tip line at 252-482-5100.
According to past 13News Now reporting, this isn't the first time an inmate has escaped from Chowan County Jail.
In March of 2016, Kelvin Singleton, 26, escaped after threatening a detention officer with a weapon he made out of a toothbrush.
Later that year, Singleton was found murdered and decapitated.
A different man also escaped from the jail in 2008.