Grand Island inmate arrested following escape, hostage situation

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - A Grand Island man has been arrested more than 12 hours after he escaped the custody of the Hall County Department of Corrections.

Around 10:19 p.m. Friday, Tyler Manka, 27, escaped whiled being treated for a medical incident at CHI Health St. Francis following his earlier conviction on numerous felonies in the Nebraska 9th Judicial District Court.

Despite attempts to detain Manka by correctional officers, law enforcement, and medical staff, he was able to flee on foot until such time as he forced entry into an apartment at 192 Stoeger Drive, several blocks east of the hospital. That apartment was occupied by a 60-year-old Grand Island male who Manka took as a hostage, barricading himself in one of the rooms of the apartment.

What followed were tenuous hours of negotiations, and the deployment of the Grand Island Police Department Tactical Response team, negotiators, additional officers, as well as members of the Hall County Sheriff’s Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

At about 6:00 a.m., tactical operations were turned over to the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT team due to the length of the incident while negotiations continued. At a little after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT was able to make entry into the room, safely rescue the hostage, and take Manka into custody.

This investigation is ongoing including potential new charges for Manka, but the Grand Island Police Department is thankful for the cooperation of surrounding agencies, and a peaceful resolution to this incident.

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