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Authorities are searching for an escaped prisoner who stabbed a Miami-Dade officer outside a Texas Walmart as the suspect was being transported to Miami from Nevada.
Alberto Morales, 42, was being transported by two officers from Las Vegas for a court appearance when they stopped at the store in Grapevine, just outside of Dallas, around 11 p.m.
Grapevine Police say the officers and Morales had flown to Dallas and were supposed to take a connecting flight when the suspect began to act strange on the plane.
Morales was acting erratic and disruptive and bumping his head against the seat in front of him, police said.
The officers rented a small SUV and decided to drive the rest of the way when they stopped for supplies at the Walmart at 1601 W. Highway 114, police said.
One officer left the SUV and went inside the store when Morales took off his glasses, broke the frame and attacked the officer, stabbing him once in the chest and three times in the back with the sharp broken end of the glasses, police said.
Morales, who was wearing a belly band with his hands shackled to it, fled the scene on foot, police said.
"He is considered dangerous at this time and he is still at large, so we're seeking the public's assistance in finding him," Grapevine Police spokesman Lt. Barry Bowling said. "As far as we know he may still be in shackles, and the clothing description we had at the time we got the report was that he was in some grey shorts and a blue shirt."
The injured officer, who hasn't been identified, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was undergoing surgery. He was expected to recover from his injuries, police said.
A large manhunt was under way to catch Morales, who police say is a violent offender and is considered dangerous. He has arrests for sexual battery, burglary and kidnapping, police said.
"We don’t think he could have gotten too far," Bowling said. "We’re concerned about where he might be since he's at large and we do think he's still very dangerous."
Miami-Dade Police officials said they're assisting in the search for Morales.