Dog the Bounty Hunter reveals how he escaped a Mexican prison sentence: "As the guard walked up..."
Duane 'Dog' Chapman well known by the fans as 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' has landed in legal trouble several times! But Chapman once found himself in hot waters with the Mexican authorities. As reported by The US Sun, Chapman was arrested in 1976 after being convicted of first-degree murder. According to reports, Chapman was waiting in his car for a friend when the latter accidentally killed a 69-year-old drug dealer named Oliver during a fight over a cannabis deal. Although Chapman had no direct involvement in the murder, Texas law held him accountable for being indirectly linked to the killing. As a result, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
By 1979, Chapman had regained his freedom. Once out, the renowned bounty hunter embarked on a transformative journey, determined to make positive changes in his life. During an interview with Fox News, Chapman recalled his time in the prison and shared how he escaped a prison sentence by becoming a bounty hunter, "So I went to Huntsville Penitentiary for five years. I did 18 months in prison. While I was in prison, I became the warden's barber, so that means all the guards were my friends."
Chapman revealed that a guard even appreciated him after a good tackle in the jail. "One guy went to break and run one day, an inmate, and I jumped him and just — the guard was going to shoot him in the back. And as the guard walked up when I was on top of the inmate apprehending him, and he threw down the handcuffs and said, 'Hook him up, bounty hunter.'" he further added. This incident occurred way before Chapman ended up in Mexican jail after breaking a rule in that country.
Chapman claimed that he was arrested in Mexico for being too good at his job as a bounty hunter. As per the laws in Mexico, the bail bondsmen cannot track down or hold the perps against their will. After tracking down Andrew Luster, who had fled to Puerto Vallarta, after being accused of multiple sexual assaults, Dog, his son, and a friend were taken into custody by the Mexican authorities. Initially, the trio was denied bail but then Duane's then-wife Beth Chapman took some help from the media in the United States. Eventually, they were granted bail and they returned home.
Mexican authorities announced that the three individuals involved did not have permission to leave the country while on bail. Shortly after this, they were re-arrested by law enforcement. Following these events, support from U.S. lawmakers, including 29 Republican congressmen, along with a resolution from Hawaii, caused the case to be prolonged. This led to numerous debates in court regarding the specifics of the charges. Ultimately, as reported by Monsters and Critics, the Mexican court dismissed the case because the statute of limitations had expired on the arrest order.