World · Europe · 5 hrs ago
Prisoner escapes during medical visit in Essen after guards are overpowered
A 34-year-old prisoner escaped during a medical visit in Essen, a city in western Germany, on Wednesday.
Two masked men overpowered and tied up the two prison officers who had brought him from Essen prison to a doctor’s office in the city centre.
The prisoner and his two helpers fled in different directions; one account says the prisoner left on an electric scooter.
The prisoner was being held on suspicion of drug offences and causing serious injury.
Police warned people not to approach anyone they found suspicious because the escapees may be armed.
Officers searched across central Essen, while specialists checked a nearby object that looked like a hand grenade and found it was a wooden imitation.
Police had not said who left the imitation or whether it was connected to the escape, and the search for the three men was continuing.
A 34-year-old prisoner escaped during a medical visit in Essen after two masked men overpowered and tied up the guards escorting him.
The escape took place at about 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday at a medical practice near Kennedyplatz.
The prisoner and the two men fled in different directions; the prisoner left on an electric scooter.
Police launched a large search and warned the public not to approach the suspects because they may be armed.
A nearby object resembling a hand grenade was found to be a wooden imitation, and its connection to the escape was unclear.
- Who
- A 34-year-old prisoner and two masked men; two prison guards were overpowered.
- What
- The prisoner escaped during a medical visit after the men attacked and tied up his guards.
- When
- Wednesday, at about 12:45 p.m.
- Where
- At a medical practice near Kennedyplatz in Essen, Germany.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Two masked men attacked and tied up the guards at the medical practice, and the prisoner escaped.
The three men fled in different directions as police launched a large search.
A nearby object resembling a hand grenade was examined and found to be a wooden imitation.
- Prisoner
- 34-year-old German man
- Location
- Medical practice near Kennedyplatz, Essen
- Time
- About 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday
- Escape vehicle
- Electric scooter
- Object found nearby
- Wooden imitation hand grenade
4 sources
Gevangene (34) bevrijd door gemaskerde mannen tijdens doktersbezoek in Essen
Grote zoekactie in Duitse stad Essen nadat gevangene ontsnapt bij doktersafspraak
Justizbeamte in NRW gefesselt - Maskierte befreien Häftling bei Arzttermin
Womöglich bewaffnet: Zwei Männer verhelfen Häftling in Essen zur Flucht - und fliehen zu dritt
What people are saying
If you notice a suspicious person, do not speak to them! Call 110 immediately. At present, the possibility that the perpetrators are armed cannot be ruled out.
Posts on X
Im Bereich des #Kennedyplatzes läuft aktuell ein größerer #Polizeieinsatz. Vermutlich kam es dort zu einer Gefangenenbefreiung. #E1410
‼️WICHTIG‼️ Sollten Sie eine verdächtige Person bemerken, sprechen Sie sie nicht an! Rufen Sie umgehend die 110 an. Derzeit kann eine Bewaffnung der Täter nicht ausgeschlossen werden.