Federal officials said a man who escaped from Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center was re-captured Friday at an apartment complex in Palos Hills.

That complex sits just steps from Palos Hills police headquarters.

Kenneth Conley was taken into custody after a brief chase and a struggle, Palos Hills Police Chief Paul Madigan told NBC Chicago.

Madigan said officials got a call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a maintenance worker at the apartment building reporting a suspicious person sleeping in the basement area.

A sergeant, patrolman and a lieutenant responded, with the lieutenant staying outside while the other two went to investigate. Outside, the lieutenant stopped a man wearing a beret and glasses and using a cane. That man didn't have identification.

While speaking on the radio, the man -- since confirmed to be Conley -- punched the lieutenant in the face and ran off, Madigan said.

Conley was taken down as he tried to break into another apartment of another building of the complex. Officers found a BB gun in his pocket, but Conley did not have money or identification on him, Madigan said.

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The chief said the lieutenant hurt his back and hamstring during the struggle with Conley. Conley hurt a pre-existing injury from a previous surgery on his arm. Both men were in the hospital on Friday evening.

Conley's arrest came just hours after FBI officials said there'd been no confirmed sightings of him since he and Joseph Banks escaped on Dec. 18. Banks was caught just two days later.

The two convicted bank robbers were serving time in the Loop facility when authorities said they broke a large hole into the bottom of a window and fashioned a rope from bed sheets to climb about 20 stories to the ground.

It was unclear why Conley was at the apartment building

"Me and my mom are in the kitchen about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and we hear a weird noise. She looks outside. She sees a policeman chasing someone. So then we were just looking casually once in a while and then we see them carrying the guy, like six policemen," said witness David Obek.

The escape charges against Banks were dropped Thursday.