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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A manhunt is underway for a murder suspect mistakenly released from Rikers Island.
Authorities say 26-year-old Christopher Buggs was prematurely released on Monday due to a clerical error.
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The Joint Fugitive Task Force, made up of NYPD officers and the U.S. Marshals, are now trying to track him down.
“We are aware of this incident and a full investigation into how this happened is underway,” Department of Corrections Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Peter Thorne said in a statement. “Right now we are working with our law enforcement partners to return this individual to custody.”
Buggs was awaiting trial on murder and weapons charges stemming from a 2018 shooting in Brooklyn.
All NYPD patrol officers have been given a “be on the lookout” photo that specifies he may be armed and dangerous.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was sentenced to 30 days for time served in another case, but that got mixed up with the murder case and he was accidentally released.
“This is being fully investigated right now. We’re going to put additional safeguards in place to make sure this never happens again. It’s very frustrating,” he said Wednesday. “It was based on a court order, but it was apparently one case that this inmate had connected to him, but there were other charges obviously as well that should’ve meant he remained incarcerated. So we’re going to get a full review of this immediately, make whatever changes we have to. In the meantime, we have a high level of confidence that he will be re-apprehended shortly.”
Surrounding jurisdictions are being notified as well.
Buggs is described as 5 feet and 5 inches tall and 160 pounds.
If you see him, do not approach him; call police.
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Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
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