Prison gang member and his accomplice are taken into custody after hours-long manhunt over ambush at Idaho hospital with cops fearing they killed two people while on the run
Two white supremacists have been recaptured and two murders committed within hours of escaping from custody on Wednesday morning are under investigation.
Three corrections officers were shot this morning when a gunman burst into St Alphonse Hospital in Boise, Idaho and freed 31-year-old inmate Skylar Meade, who was being treated under guard.
The pair fled, but Meade was arrested along with Nicholas Umphenour after a chase in Twin Falls, Idaho, at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The Boise Police Department said it is now investigating two separate murders, one in Nez Perce County and another in Clearwater County that may be linked to the couple, both of whom are members of the Aryan Knights.
Officers said the pair ditched their getaway vehicle and were driving a vehicle belonging to one of the murder victims, and that handcuffs Meade was wearing when he escaped were found at the scene of one of the murders.
The gunman opened fire on inmates who had taken Skylar Meade, seen here, to St Alphonse Hospital in Boise, Idaho, for treatment early Wednesday morning.
Nicholas Umphenour was arrested along with Meade and charged with assisting his escape
Meade was “engaged in self-injurious behavior” Tuesday evening and prison medical staff determined he needed to be taken to the hospital for treatment, Idaho State Police said
“What we know with near certainty is that this was not an accident,” said Josh Tewalt with the Department of Corrections.
“This was a planned event. And we’re putting all our resources into trying to understand exactly how they were going to plan it.”
As jail staff prepared to return Meade to jail early Wednesday morning, a suspect began shooting at officers, striking two of them.
Boise Police responded to the incident and an officer shot an armed individual at the entrance, who was later determined to be a corrections officer.
One officer is in critical but stable condition, another has serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the third was not seriously injured when he was accidentally shot by an arriving Boise police officer, a spokesperson said.
According to Boise police, a preliminary investigation indicates Meade escaped in a gray four-door sedan and fled the area moments before officers arrived.
Idaho State Police said the vehicle, a 2020 Honda Civic, was later found near Leland, Idaho, south of Kendrick.
Meade served a prison sentence for aggravated battery on a Twin Falls officer and was convicted in 2016 and was set to be released in 2036, according to KMVT.
He “engaged in self-injurious behavior Tuesday evening” and prison medical staff determined he needed to be taken to the hospital for treatment, Idaho State Police said.
He has prior convictions including possession of a controlled substance, theft and introducing contraband into a correctional facility.
He has been imprisoned since October 2016 and his most recent sentence was due to end in October 2036.
Umphenour was imprisoned from December 2020 to January 2024 at the same Idaho Max Security facility where Meade served his sentence, sometimes sharing the same living space, Tewalt said.
Chief Ron Winegar said in a statement: “This brazen, violent and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel to facilitate the escape of a dangerous inmate was carried out right in front of the emergency department, where people come for medical care.” staff. help, often in the most dire circumstances.
“When BPD officers responded, they believed the shooter was in the Emergency Department.
Boise Police Department officers told a news conference this afternoon that they fear the white supremacists may have committed two murders in their hours on the run.
A spokesperson for Saint Alphonsus said the shooting took place in the ambulance room at the emergency department
A police vehicle is parked outside Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024
This photo from the Idaho Department of Corrections shows Skylar Mead in a mugshot
The 2020 Honda Civic the pair escaped in was later found near Leland, Idaho, south of Kendrick
“They immediately moved in to address any ongoing threats to ER staff.
“I am grateful that this distressing incident did not result in loss of life, and we follow the injured IDOC officers with great hope for a full and speedy recovery for all involved.
“They are armed, dangerous and have demonstrated a willingness to use extreme violence to further their criminal activities.”
A spokesperson for Saint Alphonsus said the shooting took place in the ambulance room at the emergency department.
“All patients and staff are safe, the medical center campus is safe and secure and has resumed normal operations.
“The emergency department itself is currently on temporary lockdown while Boise Police complete their investigation,” Leticia Ramirez said.
She said as an extra precaution, “we have increased security on campus, all entrances to the hospital will be closed” and monitored by hospital security until further notice.