OAN’s Avril Elfie
11:49am – Thursday, March 21, 2024
Police are searching for an escaped inmate and his accomplice in a shootout that left two officers injured at a Boise, Idaho, hospital.
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Early Wednesday morning, around 2:15 a.m., state Department of Corrections officers attempted to transport inmate Skyler Meade, who had been taken to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for treatment, to the correctional facility, officials said. there was.
Police said they were preparing to remove Meade when the suspect, later identified as Nicholas Anfenner, opened fire on them, injuring two officers. One officer has non-life-threatening injuries, while the other remains in a stable but serious condition.
They said Mead and Anfenner fled in a gray sedan.[most likely] It’s a Honda Civic. ”
Meade is described as a 31-year-old white male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with two tattoos on his face. 1 on one side and 11 inches on the other side of his face.
The hospital was placed on modified lockdown after police responded to reports of an active shooter at the hospital, the department said. At the entrance to the hospital, one of the officers opened fire on an armed man, later identified as a Department of Corrections officer.
The correctional officer’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Boise Police Chief Ron Weinger called the incident a “brazen, violent and clearly coordinated attack” designed to help Meade escape.
“We caution anyone who may have come into contact with the suspect involved in this violent attack who fled the scene to call 911 immediately and not to confront him personally,” Winegar said. “They are armed, dangerous and have demonstrated a willingness to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity.”
Winegar told reporters Wednesday that Meade is a “known gang member” and that Amphenol is an associate of Meade.
“It is unclear exactly where they are or where they are heading,” police said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Meade was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for firing multiple shots at a law enforcement officer during a high-speed chase while evading a traffic stop, according to reports. He later entered guilty pleas to charges of aggravated assault, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a shank in prison.
Meade was in the high-security facility Tuesday night on suspicion of “harmful conduct,” according to Department of Corrections Director Josh Tewald. He arrived at the hospital just before 10pm local time after medical staff at the police station determined that he needed inpatient treatment.
“We believe this was a planned attack, as the Secretary has properly and appropriately described,” Tewald said. “But we took every precaution possible in case we were not quarantined. The entire South Boise complex has been placed in a secure condition.”
Tewalt said Meade was placed in administrative segregation, a type of restrictive housing that is the highest level of detention in the Department of Corrections.
“It’s not determined by your criminal history,” Tewald said. “This is a classification achieved by your behavior in custody.”
Police obtained warrants for Amfenour for two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of aiding and abetting escape.
Authorities say the suspects are considered armed and dangerous and anyone who sees them should call 9-1-1.
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