AMITE — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office fired a deputy and suspended two senior-level employees after an accused rapist escaped from the parish courthouse.

TPSO said Donnie Stevenson, 19, was seen Monday morning escaping the courthouse by climbing over the loading dock gate at the back of the courthouse in Amite. 

According to the sheriff's office, Stevenson had just appeared in court and was grouped with six other inmates to be escorted out by one deputy. When the group exited the back door to load into the transport van, Stevenson stayed behind.

TPSO said the transport deputy did not conduct an appropriate headcount when loading the van and drove out of the loading dock area without Stevenson. He then waited until the van was gone and climbed over the loading dock gate.

Stevenson was barefoot, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit at the time. Deputies found him hiding under a truck one block from the courthouse near Duncan Avenue and Mulberry Street within 30 minutes, thanks to help from a K-9.

TPSO said its investigation also revealed that jail staff and leadership sent a request the week before Stevenson's hearing to two levels of upper-chain-of-command personnel, asking for specialized transport for him. Neither of those administrators followed through on the request, the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker fired the transport deputy who had been placed on administrative leave following the escape. The two senior-level supervisors were suspended for the remainder of the week.

"The deputy that was in charge of this particular inmate and six other inmates didn't do his job, and he lost track of Mr. Stevenson, and he left the area of the courthouse. We're going to hold people accountable inside of my sheriff's office. This victim and the victim's family deserve better, and the community deserves better," said Sheriff Sticker. 

Stevenson was awaiting trial for first-degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of stolen things. He allegedly kidnapped and raped a woman outside a Target parking lot in Hammond in March. He had been housed at Angola since December, following a brief escape at the courthouse under similar circumstances.

He was rebooked on a simple escape charge and will be sent back to Angola.

The sheriff's office said it is revising courthouse staffing assignments, getting new restraints for high-risk inmates and a new protocol for high-risk inmates is already in effect. The Tangipahoa Parish government is also actively making changes to the loading dock gate.

TPSO said additional employee discipline or terminations could come as the investigation progresses.