Police looking for escaped inmate and other suspect after shooting at Boise hospital
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BOISE — Law enforcement officers across Idaho are looking for two suspects after a shooting at a Boise hospital.
According to a news release from the Boise Police Department, two people are traveling in a gray four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic with Idaho plates, pictured above. One suspect, pictured above, is escaped IDOC inmate Skylar Meade. The other suspect is currently unidentified, but both are known to be armed and dangerous.
Idaho State Police has issued a Blue Alert on behalf of Boise Police “for individuals they believe is an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement and/or the public.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Ada County Dispatch at (208) 377-6790.
According to the release, around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, Idaho Department of Correction officers took Meade to Saint Alphonsus for medical treatment. As they were preparing to leave to take him back to IDOC, an unknown suspect attacked and fired at the officers, striking two of them.
Boise Police officers responded to the hospital, with one officer firing his duty weapon at an armed individual near the entrance. That individual was later determined to be an IDOC employee. He was not seriously injured and is receiving treatment for his injuries.
Two IDOC officers were also injured. One officer, shot by the suspect, is in critical but stable condition. The second officer shot by the suspect has serious injuries that are not life-threatening.
The hospital was locked down as officers searched the area for the suspect. Meade and the shooting suspect reportedly got into the gray car and left the area just prior to Boise Police officers arriving.
Boise Police are leading the search for the pair. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is leading the Critical Incident Task Force investigation.
Meade has been serving time in IDOC for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement and has prior convictions, including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility.
He has been incarcerated since October 2016, and his most recent sentence was set to end October 2036.
“This brazen, violent and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of (Correction) personnel, to facilitate an escape of a dangerous inmate, was carried out right in front of the Emergency Department, where people come for medical help, often in the direst circumstances,” says the release. ” When BPD officers responded, they believed the shooter was inside the Emergency Department. They immediately entered to address any potential continued threat to emergency room staff.”
Boise Chief of Police Ron Winegar cautions the public to remain vigilant and call 911 immediately if they have any tips leading to the arrest of the suspects.
“I am grateful this harrowing incident did not result in loss of life, and we are monitoring the wounded IDOC officers with great hope for a full and speedy recovery of all involved,” said Winegar. “We caution anyone who may have contact with the suspects involved in this violent attack and escape to call 911 immediately and not confront them personally. They are armed, dangerous and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity.”