An active prison sentence sent a Washington man bolting from a Superior Court courtroom Wednesday morning.

As Superior Court Judge Waylon Sermons Jr. announced a sentence of 8 to 19 months for Emil Michael Taylor, Taylor turned, ran through the courtroom, down the courthouse stairs, out the front door of the courthouse and made it several blocks before sheriff’s office deputies, Washington Police officers and probation officers with the Department of Adult Corrections converged on Third and Van Norden streets and apprehended him.

According to witnesses, as the sentence was being called out, Taylor said, “I’ve got to see my kid” several times before he turned and ran from the courtroom.

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Charlie Rose said he believes Taylor wasn’t expecting an active prison sentence and panicked.

“It was panic and an adrenaline dump, and he got scared and ran,” Rose said.

Rose said at the time of Taylor’s sentencing for felony breaking and entering and larceny charges. was standing beside the attorney’s table, dressed in plain clothes. Since Taylor was not in custody, he was wearing no restraints, Rose said.

Rose said the chase happened very quickly — Taylor ran at 10:14 a.m. and was back in custody shortly.

“The way it was described to me is he took leaping steps (down the courthouse stairs). The folks that were behind him think that he went from platform to platform, and he went about three or four blocks,” Rose said. “It was maybe two minutes between the time that he bolted and the time that he was in custody.”