Suspect escapes police custody while handcuffed

A handcuffed man escaped police custody on early Sunday morning in East Harlem, police said.

Police officers were escorting handcuffed Austin Stevenson, 25, to the 23^rd Precinct on East 102^nd Street when he knocked over one of the officers and took off running towards Lexington Avenue.

Stevenson was arrested for trespassing in a building on East 103^rd Street and Lexington Avenue, according to police sources.

According to police, he has been arrested 19 times, but his records are sealed. In 2014 he was arrested for robbery and criminal possession of marijuana.

Stevenson is 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He remains at large and is wanted as per NYPD posters.

This is the third incident where a prisoner escapes police custody in New York City

The first case also happened when 23-year-old Tareek Arnold was arrested and on his way to the stationhouse shoved an officer and took off running. He was apprehended nearly a month later.

The second incident involved 57-year-old Arthur Collins who slipped out of the stationhouse while he was being booked. He was arrested three days later.

The two first incidents also happened within the vicinity of East Harlem precincts.