Law enforcement officials on Wednesday posed for a photo with convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante after his capture in Pennsylvania.
State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens during a press conference said he was aware "that there was a photo op that was taken out there," when asked to explain the reasoning behind the image.
"Those men and women work amazingly hard through some very trying circumstances. They're proud of their work.
"I'm not bothered at all by the fact that they took a photograph with him in custody," he added. "Again, they're proud of their work, they kept the community safe. I say thanks to them and good job."
Cavalcante brazenly escaped from a Pennsylvania jail two weeks ago. He was captured in the woods by a team of tactical officers, bringing an end to an intense search that terrified residents as the fugitive broke into homes for food, changed his appearance, and stole a van and rifle during two weeks on the run.
Law enforcement's big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Cavalcante's heat signal, allowing tactical teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him and move in with search dogs.
"They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise," Bivens said. "Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred."
Cavalcante — still armed with the rifle he stole from a homeowner's garage — tried to escape by crawling through thick underbrush, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer released a search dog that subdued him, said Bivens, adding that Cavalcante continued to resist as he was taken into custody after 8 a.m.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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