ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - State police, sheriff's deputies, and officers are searching for an inmate who escaped Wednesday morning shortly before a court hearing.

Candace Patterson was inside the Estill County Courthouse Wednesday morning, waiting for the domestic violence order against her husband, Daniel Patterson, to go through when she heard of his escape.

"Every day, since May 5, I've been living in fear," said Patterson, "he left on May 5. He came back to our house on May 6. I got an EPO on him because he tried to run me over with a truck."

Seven court dates and countless run in's later, Patterson thought she and her boys would finally be free of fear.

"Today is the worst day of them all," Patterson said.

Around 11 Wednesday morning, right as a deputy jailer was escorting Daniel Patterson into the Estill County Jail so he could appear for court, he took off running.

"Everything's kinda in limbo right now. Kinda waiting for him to pop up," explained Estill County Jailer Bo Morris, "I hate it for the public because I worry about them too."

Morris thinks Daniel Patterson may cross county lines at night. He says Patterson has family in Barbourville. They have alerted Barbourville police. Kentucky State Police, Irvine Police, and the Estill County Sheriff's Office are working together to search for Patterson.