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THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. — Eric Reinbold, accused of killing his wife last year, allegedly attempted to escape from custody at the Pennington County Jail on Saturday, June 4 and has been charged with first degree assault, attempted escape from custody and fourth degree assault.
Reinbold, 45, is being held at the Pennington County jail on earlier charges of intentional second degree murder and second degree murder in the death of his wife on July 9, 2021. He was arrested on Aug. 4, 2021 after a 26-day manhunt.
According to court documents, Reinbold allegedly attacked an officer delivering medication to inmates on a cart, using a white colored pencil as a weapon. Reinbold pushed the officer backwards and she hit the back of her head on the concrete floor. Reinbold allegedly proceeded to drag the officer across the floor, and another officer approached, court documents say. The second officer was successful in getting Reinbold to let go of the first officer.
Reinbold told the second officer to open an interior door and pushed him against a concrete wall. He fell to the floor, and told Reinbold he could not open the door because he could not feel his legs. Court documents allege that after the second officer refused to comply with Reinbold’s demands, Reinbold ripped the officer’s corrections badge and attempted to use it on the badge reader to open the door. He was unsuccessful, and court documents say he held the white colored pencil to the second officer’s throat, demanding that he open the door.
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Then, according to documents, a third officer was let into the pod, and after attempts to deescalate the situation, fired her taser toward Reinbold. The probes did not penetrate Reinbold’s clothing completely, but he dropped the white colored pencil and started to fall over. She fired her taser at Reinbold a second time, but it was ineffective.
Reinbold was still holding the second officer’s corrections badge, now with the pin exposed, documents say. The first officer pinned Reinbold down while the third officer removed the cartridge from her taser and stunned Reinbold in the side. He dropped the badge and was handcuffed.
The first officer was taken by ambulance to Sanford in Thief River Falls for a head injury and a second went to the emergency room later for back pain.
Reinbold’s first court appearance will be on Friday, June 10, according to documents.
