Boise, Idaho – An intense manhunt is currently underway in Boise, Idaho, as authorities pursue an escaped inmate and an accomplice involved in a shooting incident targeting corrections officers during the early hours of Wednesday.
The episode unfolded at 2:15 a.m. local time when officers from the Idaho Department of Corrections were in the process of transferring inmate Skylar Meade back to the corrections facility after receiving medical treatment at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, according to the Boise Police Department. As the officers were preparing to return Meade, an unidentified suspect opened fire on them, resulting in two officers being shot. One officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while the other remains in a critical but stable condition.
Following the shooting, both Meade and the suspect fled the scene and were last sighted boarding a gray four-door sedan, potentially a Honda Civic, according to police reports. In a swift response, Boise officers arrived at the hospital after receiving reports of an active shooter, prompting the institution to implement a modified lockdown. During the chaos, one of the responding officers confronted an armed individual at the hospital’s entrance, later identified as an Idaho Department of Corrections officer, who fortunately only sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar characterized the incident as a bold, violent, and apparently coordinated attack orchestrated to facilitate Meade’s escape. Urging caution, Winegar advised the public to abstain from directly engaging with the armed suspects and instead immediately contact emergency services if any interaction occurs. The fugitive, Meade, had previously received a 20-year prison sentence in 2017 for firing multiple shots at law enforcement officials during a high-speed pursuit following a traffic stop, as reported by NBC affiliate KTVB of Boise. Meade admitted to charges of aggravated assault, illegal possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a weapon in jail.
This ongoing search for the escaped inmate and his co-conspirator has heightened concerns among the residents of Boise as law enforcement officials intensify their efforts to bring them to justice and ensure the safety of the community. With the suspects still at large, authorities remain vigilant and urge the public to remain alert and cautious until they are apprehended.