JACK BROOK and JIM MUSTIAN.

A Louisiana state police SWAT member works the scene on Iberville Street as police pursue a fugitive that escaped from a New Orleans jail, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Authorities investigating a new social media post by a New Orleans jail escapee on the run

Authorities are investigating an Instagram photo showing a man who identifies himself as Antoine Massey, a fugitive still at large after escaping more than two weeks ago from a New Orleans jail. Authorities say they became aware Thurdsay of the social media post, which shows a man with Massey’s same facial tattoos. Authorities are not sure when or where the photo was taken but they say they are treating the post as real. Earlier this week, authorities raided a home where they believed Massey had recorded videos posted on social media while on the run. They say they only found some clothing he apparently wore on video.

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Mario Westbrook sits on his porch, May 21, 2025, in New Orleans East, where he says the community has long had negative experiences with law enforcement. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)

Mistrust in law enforcement complicates the search for the New Orleans jail escapees

As authorities scour New Orleans for escapees from a jailbreak, they’re also confronting a history of mistrust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Nearly a week after 10 inmates yanked open a faulty cell door inside a city jail and moved the toilet to squeeze through a hole, five remain on the lam despite hefty financial rewards for tips leading to their capture. Police have said most of the fugitives are likely still in the city. Complicating efforts is a history of misconduct and racial bias against Black people by city police, a state police record of excessive force, and a jail system found to violate constitutional rights.

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