(KAIR)--An Atchison County Jail inmate, considered dangerous, is on the run, and an initial look into the early Thursday morning escape places blame on a failure to follow security polices.

That’s according to a release issued by Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie, who, citing a preliminary investigation by Sheriff’s administration, says 20-year-old Taggart Lee, because “several security policies were not followed by jail security staff,” was able to manipulate a door lock, which allowed him to enter an unsecured area of the jail, and then, the outside.

Pursued on foot for several blocks by an unarmed jail officer, Lee, brandishing a 2x4 piece of lumber he had picked up, threatened the officer and escaped.

Although an attempt to establish a perimeter was made, Laurie said law enforcement was unable to locate Lee.

The release states that Lee, who has a history of being armed, is considered dangerous by the Sheriff’s Office.

Laurie, in the release, describes Lee as a light skinned black man who stands 6-foot-1, weighing 170 pounds. Lee has short black hair and a short beard, and was last known to be wearing lime green pants, a white t-shirt, and orange slip-on shoes.

Anyone with information related to Lee’s whereabouts is urged to contact Atchison County Dispatch at 913-367-4323, the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office at 913-804-6080, or 911 if the situation is an emergency.

Lee had been in custody since January 8, held for aggravated robbery. He allegedly committed the crime on New Year’s Eve of 2020, accused of taking a phone from a 44-year-old woman at knife-point during a disturbance.