Idaho Police Capture White Supremacist Gang Members Linked to Homicides
In a dramatic turn of events, Idaho police have successfully captured two white supremacist gang members who have been connected to two homicides following a daring prison break that occurred on Wednesday.
The fugitive inmate, Skylar Meade, 31, and his alleged accomplice, Nicholas Umphenour, were apprehended in the city of Twin Falls after a tense pursuit.
During the capture, three officers sustained injuries when Umphenour, 28, reportedly launched an attack on guards while they were escorting Meade back to prison from a hospital.
Authorities have confirmed that both men are affiliated with the notorious Aryan Knights prison gang, raising questions about the motive behind their escape.
Law enforcement officials revealed that Meade and Umphenour are suspected of being involved in two separate homicides while on the run since Wednesday.
Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Kelley of the Idaho State Police disclosed that prison restraints were discovered at the scene of one of the murders, both of which occurred in rural northern Idaho.
Following a brief car chase on Thursday afternoon, Meade and Umphenour were finally apprehended. They were found driving a Honda Civic that belonged to one of their victims.
Meade managed to escape from the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise after being admitted for displaying “self-injurious” behavior, as stated by Josh Tewalt, the director of the state’s Department of Correction.
Umphenour carried out the ambush on prison staff in the early hours of Wednesday morning, firing upon them while Meade was being transferred from the hospital back to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
It was revealed that Umphenour had been released from the same prison earlier this year, and both individuals had resided in the same housing unit during their incarceration.
Tewalt expressed uncertainty regarding the level of coordination involved in the escape, emphasizing the need for increased measures to counteract gang-related activities within correctional facilities.
“Regardless of their actions, we are committed to disrupting any organized criminal behavior that occurs in our institutions on a daily basis,” Tewalt stated during a press conference.
During Meade’s escape, two correction officers were shot, with one sustaining non-life-threatening injuries and another in critical but stable condition. A third officer was also injured by gunfire during the response to the incident.
Meade, who has been serving a prison sentence since 2016 for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, possesses a criminal record that includes convictions for grand theft and felony possession of a controlled substance.
His scheduled release date was set for 2036, but his recent actions have now placed him in further legal jeopardy. — BBC
