Two masked individuals are alleged to have helped an accused killer escape from custody. Braidy Chase Vermette, 28, escaped late Wednesday evening while being transported to hospital for treatment to of a self-inflicted arm injury.
Vermette is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Troy Napope, who has been missing since June of last year.
According to Prince Albert police, Vermette, who was being held at the Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centre, was being escorted out of a vehicle by correctional officers at the hospital when they were ambushed by two masked people.
One was armed with a gun, the other with bear mace.
The bear mace was sprayed towards the correctional officers and police said Vermette appeared to go willingly with the two masked individuals.
“Neither correctional officer was seriously injured but they were both contaminated with bear mace,” said Prince Albert police Sgt. Brandon Mudry.
“Right now the police service considers Vermette to be armed and we caution people not to approach him.”
Mudry said Vermette was wearing arm and leg shackles when he was being escorted. He said neither of the corrections officers was armed.
Vermette is considered armed and dangerous. He is six-foot-four, 240 pounds with short black hair and brown eyes. He has a recent laceration to his right elbow. Ministry of Justice spokesman Drew Wilby said Vermette is considered local to the Prince Albert area, but he likely has networks outside the city.
Following the ambush, Vermette and the attackers drove away in a dark-coloured SUV.
Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice said the escape was premeditated, but do not know the extent of the plan.
“Our primary concern right now is to return Mr. Vermette into police custody so he can back within the walls of a correctional centre,” Wilby said.
Wilby added that corrections officers in Saskatchewan do not carry guns.
“They do carry, at times, pepper spray and batons. In this case, it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal whether they had that or not,” Wilby said.
According to Wilby, investigators will review recorded phone calls to see what level of planning led up to the escape.
“Right now, our goal of course is to determine what had occurred there, what information we can glean from those telephone calls to aid in this investigation.”
READ MORE: Man charged with murder in death of Troy Napope
Vermette was scheduled make his next court appearance on April 4.
Police have also charged Skylar Patrick Bird, 29, with first-degree murder in Napope’s death.
Prince Albert police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 306-953-4256 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
*With files from The Canadian Press and David Baxter
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