Johnson Memorial Hospital Escapee Charged On A Warrant: State Police

STAFFORD, CT — A man who escaped the behavioral health ward at Johnson Memorial Hospital before being captured remained in custody this week on a $50,000 bond, state police said.

Zachary Ellish, 28, of Bristol, was charged with assault on a public safety officer for the Jan. 11 incident, according to a warrant. He is due back in Rockville Superior Court on June 25, according to judicial system records.

While state troopers were en route to JMH at 2:24 p.m., they were told that a patient had assaulted staffers, run away from the hospital and was being chased through a wooded area, according to a warrant.

When state police caught up to Ellish about a half-mile away, he was uncooperative, but eventually taken into custody, according to a warrant.

According to a warrant, Ellish had been committed to the behavioral health unit and, that day, refused to take prescribed medication. He broke loose from a medical team, kicked open a security door and ran from the facility, according to a warrant.