Heroic actions helped police in capturing Tyler Manka

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - We’re learning new details following Tyler Manka’s escape from the custody of the Hall County Department of Corrections.

Grand Island Police said when Manka fled from CHI Health St. Francis Friday night, he ended up at the Regency Retirement Home.

Captain Jim Duering said a St. Francis doctor pursued Manka in hopes of catching him. A concerned citizen who was driving by saw a male in a jail uniform being chased so he jumped in to help.

They were able to corner him in the foyer of the building as the first set of doors were unlocked but the second ones were not.

Capt. Duering said Manka found something in that area and broke out the glass of the second set of doors. He then ran through the building and out the other end, eventually heading to the apartment on Stoeger Drive.

That’s where he was in a standoff with law enforcement for 12 hours, holding one person hostage. The hostage was uninjured.

Capt. Duering said if it wasn’t for those heroic actions by those two, he doesn’t know if they would have been where they needed to be to eventually capture him. They allowed police time to get to the area.

Manka was arrested on several charges related to his escape including burglary, kidnapping, escape, terroristic threats and use of a weapon to commit a felony.