Grant Hardin in police photo. Stone County Arkansas Sheriff's Office

A former Arkansas police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape has escaped from prison, according to the Stone County Sheriff's Office.

Grant Hardin, 56, who has been in prison since 2017 for first-degree murder and rape, escaped the Calico Rock North Central Unit on Sunday at approximately 2:50 p.m., the sheriff's office said in a statement .

Hardin, who was the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, allegedly escaped through a sally port "wearing a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections .

As of Sunday evening, the search continues for Hardin, officials said.

Hardin is "considered to be extremely dangerous and should not be a

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