Friday May 3rd, 2024 in the evening, around twenty of the most violent and dangerous inmates attempted to escape from Port-de-Paix prison, all from the same cell which contained 37 prisoners. According to the police, an inmate made people believe he was feeling unwell and it was at the moment of the guard's intervention that the detainees took advantage of the opening of the cell to escape.

According to a partial report, 5 inmates were killed in the prison during the police intervention and several others injured. The police deployed across the city to track down the escapees and asked the population to stay at home.

Leonel Joseph, Spokesperson for the North-West departmental police, confirmed at a press conference that 6 escapees had already been recaptured and returned behind bars...

Me Jeir Pierre, Government Commissioner, informed that 2 police officers ensuring prison security, Inspector Smith and a station chief, are currently being questioned as part of an investigation into this escape.

For the Government Commissioner, "professional negligence" would be the cause of this escape. Furthermore, he stressed that the number of guards present in the prison at the time of the escape was insufficient due to a strike by the latter...

On Saturday morning, the figure of 10 to 20 detainees on the run in the city but no official report has been released to confirm or deny this number.

SL/ HaitiLibre