• Grant Hardin, a former police chief, escaped from an Arkansas prison while serving time for murder and rape.
• Hardin had been incarcerated since 2017, serving a 30-year sentence for murder and an additional 50 years for rape.
• Authorities reported he escaped wearing a makeshift law enforcement uniform, and a manhunt is underway.
• Hardin is considered dangerous due to his prior convictions and law enforcement background.
• Law enforcement officials are urging the public to report any sightings of Hardin.

A former police chief in Arkansas, Grant Hardin, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday, prompting a significant manhunt. Hardin had been serving a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and an additional 50 years for rape since 2017. He was seen leaving prison around 3:40 p.m. wearing a makeshift uniform resembling those of law enforcement officers, which allowed him to slip away unnoticed, according to CBS News, Los Angeles Times, and NPR.

Hardin's prior conviction for murder involved the shooting of James Appleton, who was killed in 2017 while talking to his brother-in-law, then-Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman. In 2018, DNA evidence linked him to a 1997 rape case that had remained unsolved until then. His escape has raised public safety concerns, with authorities warning that Hardin, due to his law enforcement background, poses a significant threat, as reported by Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Hill.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to locate Hardin. They have indicated that all issued equipment has been accounted for, and the investigation continues to understand how the escape occurred, according to BBC and India Times.