HARRISVILLE — Officers are searching for a 250-pound man who escaped custody from the borough police station — with no shoes and one hand still cuffed to his back.

John R. Barlow Jr., 55, of Grove City may have feigned a bathroom break to make his getaway Tuesday night, authorities said.

A felony arrest warrant is out on Barlow in connection with his sneaking away. He is wanted on 17 charges, including escape and drunken driving.

Harrisville police came upon the suspect around 6:40 p.m. following a traffic stop at the parking lot of a South Main Street store, according to charging documents.

He was stopped, police said, when Sgt. Daniel Anschutz noticed the inspection sticker on his pickup truck appeared to have been altered.

There were two passengers in Barlow's truck, which was littered with open cans of beer in the cab.

While Anschutz was on his radio checking the identities of the occupants with a 911 dispatcher, the defendant made a run for it, police said.

The officer quickly caught him near the store, but had to take him to the ground. Barlow continued to struggle and Anschutz radioed for back up, documents said. Two Slippery Rock police officers arrived a short time later.

Police needed two sets of handcuffs for the suspect due to his hefty size. Anschutz also removed Barlow's shoes to deter any future runaway attempt.

He was eventually taken to the Harrisville police station. At some point, he asked to use the bathroom, police said.

Anschutz removed the cuff from his right hand. His left hand remained cuffed, behind his back, to the loops on a handcuff belt.

With Barlow in the bathroom, the officer called Slippery Rock police to make arrangements for the defendant to take a breath test to determine his blood-alcohol level.

That's when the suspect allegedly turned escape artist.

He walked out of the bathroom at 7:39 p.m. and continued out of the station, police said.

Anschutz, assisted by Slippery Rock police, looked for — but could not find — the suspect. The county's 911 center later issued a be-on-the-lookout advisory.

Later, his name and other personal information was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

According to police, Barlow is white, about five-foot-11-inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing eyeglasses, a black hooded sweat shirt, tan pants and white socks.

He was shoeless, documents said, and “still had his left hand cuffed behind his back by 2 pair of Peerless (brand) handcuffs.”

It's unlikely that Barlow remains in his cuffed predicament, Anschutz admitted Thursday. By now, it's likely someone's helped him cut off the cuffs.

In addition to escape and DUI, Barlow is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, altering a vehicle inspection sticker and eight traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license-DUI related.

But that's not all. Anschutz charged him with two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly taking the two pairs of handcuffs he was wearing when he escaped.