Police have launched a large search after an inmate escaped from a prison van during a transfer near Westmoor on Tuesday afternoon. The 34-year-old man, who is serving a nine-year sentence for armed robbery, was being taken from Westmoor prison to a hospital in Riverton for a scheduled medical appointment.
According to police, the van stopped at a fuel station on the main road south of Westmoor shortly after 2 p.m. When officers opened the rear door, the man pushed past a guard and ran toward a nearby wood. The guard suffered a minor arm injury and was treated at the scene.
Description
Police have not released the man’s name but have issued a description. He is about 1.85 meters tall, of slim build, with short dark hair and a short beard. When he escaped he was wearing a gray tracksuit and white trainers, and his hands were cuffed in front of him.
Officers believe he may have changed clothes or received help from someone outside.
We are asking anyone who saw a man matching this description, or a car stopping unexpectedly near the woods south of Westmoor, to contact us immediately. Please do not approach him yourself.
Chief Inspector Hana Lukas, Westmoor police
The search
More than 120 officers are taking part, supported by dog units and a helicopter. Checkpoints have been set up on roads between Westmoor and Cedar Falls, and trains leaving the region are being monitored. Police say there is no specific threat to the public, but residents of nearby villages are asked to keep their doors and cars locked.
Questions over security
The justice ministry has ordered an internal review of the transfer, including why only two guards accompanied the prisoner and whether procedures were followed at the fuel stop. The prison officers’ union said staff shortages had made transfers riskier for months.
We have warned again and again that two officers per transfer is not enough for high-risk inmates.
Marko Petersen, head of the prison officers’ union
Anyone with information can call the police emergency number or contact any police station. Tips can also be given anonymously.
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