By Janice Morse
Enquirer staff writer

MIDDLETOWN - Police say a homicide suspect jailed in Warren County assaulted a sheriff's deputy during an unsuccessful attempt to escape Wednesday.

The attempt was foiled with the help of an alert citizen.

Police accused Estell Wayne Buck, 55, of attacking Deputy Sandy Brooks. Brooks had driven Buck and another inmate to a dental appointment at the Middletown Dental Group, 2402 Central Ave.

Around 2 p.m. as Brooks placed Buck in her cruiser after the appointment, authorities said, he slipped his waist security chain over Brooks' neck and attempted to take her firearm.

Brooks never lost her gun and a citizen, whose name was not made public, saw the incident and helped the deputy get Buck back into the cruiser.

The other prisoner did not participate in the escape attempt, authorities said.

Brooks suffered face and head injuries, but they were not believed to be serious. She was treated at Middletown Regional Hospital.

Buck was in the Middletown jail on charges of felonious assault, aggravated robbery and attempted escape, authorities said.

Buck, of Eaton, had been in the Warren County Jail since June when he was arrested in the March slaying of a Traders World flea market vendor, William Doolittle Jr.

Buck's trial in that case is set for Nov. 29 in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com