A man convicted of stealing a Lincoln County Sheriff’sDepartment patrol car and wrecked it into a utility pole in 2006 isback behind bars after escaping from an inmate work detail inGulfport on Friday, authorties said.

David A. Beck, 37, escaped around 1:50 p.m. Friday from a workdetail with the Harrison County Sand Beach Authority. He was laterapprehended without incident just after 10 p.m. Friday by LongBeach police officers.

Beck, of Pearl River, La., was serving a four-year sentence forconvictions of possession of cocaine and theft of a motor vehiclewhile fleeing after a routine traffic stop.

Sheriff Steve Rushing was an investigator at the time of Beck’sarrest.

He said a narcotics officer pulled Beck and his girlfriend overon Interstate 55 northbound near Brookhaven Academy. Beck and hisgirlfriend were put in the back of the patrol car so officers couldsearch their car.

In the meantime, Beck rolled down a window in the back seat ofthe car and crawled out. The couple escaped when Beck sped off inthe patrol car.

“He wasn’t even under arrest when he fled; they were justdetaining him to search his vehicle,” Rushing said.

Beck took the patrol car on a high-speed chase through downtownBrookhaven before hitting a light pole on South Jackson Street infront of the Lincoln County Public Library.

Rushing said Beck has not been kept in the Lincoln County Jailin some time.

“He’s been gone from here for over a year, I know,” Rushingsaid.

Beck faces at least an additional five-year sentence ifconvicted of escape.