March 21 (UPI) — The manhunt for escaped white supremacist convict Skylar Meade and his suspected accomplice Nicholas Umphenour ended Thursday with the capture of the two men.
Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that Meade and Umphenour have been taken into custody.
Authorities located Meade and Umphenour in the Twin Falls area at about 2 p.m. Police took them into custody after a short vehicle pursuit, Winegar said.
Their apprehension comes after three corrections officers were shot Wednesday during Meade’s escape in Boise, Idaho.
Police identified Umphenour as the suspected shooter who opened fire on officers as Meade was being transported from a hospital back to the Idaho Department of Corrections.
Police got a warrant for Umphenour’s arrest on charges of aggravated battery against law enforcement, as well as aiding and abetting an escape.
Meade was described by Idaho Department of Corrections Director Josh Tewalt as being affiliated with the gang Aryan Knights.
Boise police said the warrant for Umphenour carries a $2 million bond. He was identified as the suspected shooter after a BPD investigation.
Three IDOC officers were hit by gunfire during a 2:30 a.m. firefight that led to Meade’s escape Wednesday
Umphenour allegedly shot two of the corrections officers. The third corrections officer was hit by a Boise police officer responding to the scene.
The officers survived, but one is in critical but stable condition. One victim is in serious condition but has non-life threatening injuries, and the third officer also has non-life threatening injuries.
Meade had 20 years left on a sentence for firing shots at law enforcement following a traffic stop and high-speed chase in 2017.
Idaho state police also are investigating two homicides that might be tied to this incident. Idaho State Police Lt. Colonel Sheldon Kelley said the killings happened at separate locations and involved two men. The cause of their deaths was not disclosed.
