Authorities in Tonga have alerted international police services, maritime networks, and commercial airlines after the escape of a murder defendant from prison in Neiafu, earlier this week.
American Dean Jay Fletcher was due to appear in court in Tonga on October 10 on murder charges relating to the death of his wife in Vava’u in July.
The online news service Matangi Tonga reports that Fletcher escaped on a yacht, Sea Oak after a five hour stand off with a Tonga police search and rescue boat.
The Tongan police boat was forced to pull out from pursuing the yacht after the fugitive murder suspect had fired several flares and threatened to set fire to the small boat in northwest Vava’u waters.
A police statement said, “The escaped prisoner, Dean Jay Fletcher (54) had fired several flares at the police boat in a five hour standoff.
“Fletcher was believed to be holding a bottle of gasoline liquid and threatened to set fire to the police boat with the use of the inflammable gasoline and flares.”
The police were not in a position to counter the threat and did not have the capacity to maintain the pursuit in open water.
Commissioner Steve Caldwell said, “The decision made by the police officers, to end the pursuit in all the circumstances was the right one, and now our energy goes into locating this desperate man and returning him to face justice for the charge of murder.”
International police services, maritime networks and commercial flights have been alerted.
