Alton Telegraph: Handcuffed suspect steals police vehicle, drives away.

Authorities said the man, identified as 21-year-old Derek Union, had been arrested earlier in Alton on suspicion of involvement in an auto theft ring.

They said Union had his hands cuffed behind him and was placed in the rear seat of an unmarked sport utility vehicle used by a task force officer. Union reportedly was driven by the officer to Wood River, where he told police he could show them a location where they could find stolen and wrecked cars.

Gary Brewer, director of the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, said the officer got out of the car to take photographs for use as evidence in the investigation.

Brewer said Union, who he described as being “small-framed” and “kind of wiry,” apparently managed to get his cuffed hands in front of him.

“At that point, he brought his cuffs around,” Brewer told a St. Louis TV news reporter. “He had the ability to work the cuffs downward and pull his feet through his hands.”

Union apparently jumped over the front seat and got behind the steering wheel of the SUV, then drove it away before the officer could stop him.

The vehicle was recovered in Missouri; Union is still at large.

Update, 5 pm: KMOV is reporting right now that Union was captured today in south St. Louis by police. He had been able to remove his handcuffs while on the loose because the handcuff key was on the ring of keys in the ignition of the police vehicle which he stole.