During the early hours of Wednesday, a shocking incident unfolded in Boise, Idaho, as three corrections officers were ambushed and shot while returning an inmate to prison from a medical center. The inmate, identified as Skylar Meade, and the shooter managed to escape together, prompting a widespread manhunt.
According to the City of Boise, the Idaho Department of Correction officers had taken Meade to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center on Tuesday night. As they were preparing to depart with Meade around 2:15 a.m., an unidentified assailant launched an attack, shooting at the officers and injuring two of them.
Subsequently, a third individual, later identified as a corrections officer, was mistakenly shot by responding Boise police officers in the chaos.
"A preliminary investigation suggests that Meade and the shooter fled the scene in a grey four-door sedan just before the arrival of Boise Police officers," stated the news release.
Authorities have reported that one officer, shot by the suspect, is currently in critical but stable condition, while the second officer, also shot by the suspect, has sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The third officer, injured by police gunfire, has fortunately suffered non-life-threatening wounds.
Reports indicate that Meade was involved in "self-injurious" behavior on Tuesday night, prompting officers to arrange for his transfer to an off-site facility for further care, as stated by Josh Tewalt, director of the state's Department of Correction, during a news conference on Wednesday.
Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar suggested that the incident may have been a planned attack or ambush aimed at freeing Meade from custody, mentioning that numerous leads have been received in connection with the case.
Following the incident, the hospital was placed on lockdown while authorities conducted a search for the individuals involved. A widespread manhunt is now underway in the Treasure Valley area to locate the unidentified suspect and Meade, a 31-year-old individual known to be affiliated with the white supremacist group the Aryan Knights and with a history of prior convictions, according to Winegar.
Meade had been serving a sentence since October 2016 for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement, with his release originally scheduled for 2036, as per a news release.
Described as having distinctive tattoos on his face and body, Meade stands at around 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 150 lbs. Authorities have warned the public that he is armed and dangerous, advising against approaching him and instead urging individuals to contact 911 or the Ada County Dispatch at 208-377-6790.
