Idaho inmate Skylar Meade escaped from custody during a coordinated attack on corrections officers at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
The shooting unfolded at around 2:15 am as the IDOC officer responsible for transporting Meade to jail was getting ready to return him. During this time, an unknown suspect attacked and fired at the officers, striking two of them before fleeing in a gray four-door sedan.
On March 21, 2024, an Idaho inmate named Skylar Meade escaped from custody during a coordinated attack on corrections officers at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. The shooting unfolded at around 2:15 am as the IDOC officer responsible for transporting Meade to jail was getting ready to return him. During this time, an unknown suspect attacked and fired at the officers, striking two of them before fleeing in a gray four-door sedan.
Skylar Meade was being discharged from the hospital just after 2 a.m.
The alleged shooter was identified as Nicholas Umphenour
One of the officers wounded by the suspect is in critical but stable condition
Meade has been serving time in IDOC for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement and has prior convictions including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility.
The hospital was locked down as officers searched the area for the suspect
Boise police are leading the search for two outstanding suspects last seen traveling in a grey four-door sedan
Accuracy
Skylar Meade escaped custody during an early Wednesday morning ambush at a Boise area hospital that left three corrections officers wounded. The attack and escape happened at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center as inmate Skylar Meade was being discharged from the hospital just after 2 a.m. MT.
The alleged shooter was identified in a police news release Wednesday evening as Nicholas Umphenour, who is accused of aggravated battery against law enforcement and aiding and abetting an escape.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that three corrections officers were wounded during an ambush at a Boise hospital while transporting Skylar Meade back to Idaho Maximum Security Institution. However, it was actually Meade who escaped custody and attacked the officers as they prepared to take him back to prison.
Meade went to the hospital Tuesday night for self-injurious behavior but he is not mentioned as being discharged from there at 2 a.m MT on Wednesday morning.
The article states that three corrections officers were wounded during an ambush at a Boise hospital while transporting Skylar Meade back to Idaho Maximum Security Institution. However, it was actually Meade who escaped custody and attacked the officers as they prepared to take him back to prison.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by citing statements from law enforcement officials without providing any context or evidence for their claims. This is evident in phrases such as 'Boise Police Department Chief Ron Winegar called the shooting brazen and a coordinated attack.' Secondly, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article to sensationalize events, including phrases like 'manhunt' and 'dangerous'. Thirdly, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction in the phrase 'Meade was due to be released in 2036', which implies that he will never be able to leave prison. Lastly, there are several instances where the author uses direct quotes from law enforcement officials without providing any context or evidence for their claims.
Boisa Police Department Chief Ron Winegar called the shooting brazen and a coordinated attack.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the attack and escape happened at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center as inmate Skylar Meade was being discharged from the hospital just after 2 a.m. MT and another person began shooting.
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is an example of bias because it implies that the attack happened at this specific location, which may not be true.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
There are multiple conflicts of interest found in this article. The author has a personal relationship with the Boise Police Department Chief Ron Winegar as he is quoted extensively and referred to by name throughout the article.
The author quotes Boise Police Department Chief Ron Winegar extensively, referring to him by name multiple times in the article. This suggests that they have a personal relationship.
Skylar Meade has been serving time in IDOC for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement and has prior convictions including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility.
Three IDOC officers were injured in the incident. One officer shot by the suspect is in critical but stable condition while another officer shot by the suspect has serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Accuracy
The incident began at 2:15 am as Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) officers had transported IDOC inmate Skylar Meade to Saint Alphonsus for medical treatment.
An unknown suspect attacked and fired at the officers, striking two of them. Boise Police officers responded to the hospital to reports of an active shooter, with one officer firing his duty weapon at an armed individual near the entrance. That individual was later determined to be an IDOC employee.
Meade has been serving time in IDOC for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement and has prior convictions including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility. He was not seriously injured and is receiving treatment for his injuries.
The hospital was locked down as officers searched the area for the suspect. A preliminary investigation indicates Meade and an unknown individual got into a grey four-door sedan and fled just prior to Boise Police officers arriving.
Boise police are leading the search for two outstanding suspects last seen traveling in a grey four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic with ID plates. One suspect is escaped IDOC inmate Skylar Meade.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the shooting suspect and vehicle have been identified when no such information has been provided. Secondly, it claims that Meade was shot by an IDOC employee but does not provide any evidence to support this claim. Thirdly, it mentions a grey four-door sedan as the getaway car for both suspects without providing any details about its make or model.
The article states that the shooting suspect and vehicle have been identified when no such information has been provided.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the incident was a 'brazen, violent and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel' without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the suspects as 'armed, dangerous and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity'. The article also contains a dichotomous depiction by stating that Meade has been incarcerated since October 2016 and his most recent sentence was set to end October 2036 without providing any information about the circumstances of his arrest or conviction. Finally, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric when describing the suspects as 'armed, dangerous and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity'.
The article uses an appeal to authority by stating that the incident was a 'brazen, violent and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel' without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the suspects as 'armed, dangerous and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity'.
There is an example of dichotomous depiction by stating that Meade has been incarcerated since October 2016 and his most recent sentence was set to end October 2036 without providing any information about the circumstances of his arrest or conviction.
The article contains a statement that inflames emotions when it says 'This brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel'.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the shooting suspect and one of the IDOC officers were both armed. This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that having access to firearms is inherently dangerous or violent.
> Boise Police officers responded to the hospital to reports of an active shooter, with one officer firing his duty weapon at an armed individual near the entrance.
Skylar Meade is a dangerous inmate who had been transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for treatment after engaging in self-injurious behavior.
Nicholas Umphenour was identified as the suspect who attacked and fired at the officers. One officer struck was in critical but stable condition, while another officer sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Accuracy
Skylar Meade escaped from custody during a coordinated shooting attack on officers at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that the shooting attack was coordinated and planned when there is no evidence to suggest this. Secondly, the sentence 'At the hospital, a suspect attacked and fired at officers' suggests that Meade was involved in attacking police officers but it does not provide any context or evidence for this claim. Thirdly, the article uses sensationalist language such as 'dangerous', 'violent', and 'coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel'. Fourthly, the sentence 'The hospital had been placed on a temporary lockdown following the shooting near its ambulance bay' is misleading because it implies that there were no other incidents at the hospital but this is not stated in any way. Lastly, the article uses selective reporting by only mentioning Meade and Umphenour as suspects when there are two wanted individuals involved in this incident.
The title implies that the shooting attack was coordinated and planned when there is no evidence to suggest this.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the shooting was a planned attack without providing any evidence or citation for this claim. Additionally, there are two instances of inflammatory rhetoric: one in the statement by Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar and another in the headline which describes Skylar Meade as 'dangerous'. The article also contains an example of a dichotomous depiction when it states that Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is safe after being placed on lockdown following the shooting. Finally, there are two instances where statements made by anyone other than Stephen Sorace and Bradford Betz are used to score the article.
The statement 'This brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel was carried out right in front of the Emergency Department' is an example of inflammatory rhetoric.
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center being described as safe after being placed on lockdown following the shooting is an example of a dichotomous depiction.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'dangerous inmate' to describe Skylar Meade which is a loaded term that implies he is dangerous due to his race or religion rather than his actions. Additionally, the use of phrases such as 'affiliated member of the Arayan Knights' and 'white supremacist prison gang based primarily in Idaho' are examples of religious bias.
Skylar Meade is described as a dangerous inmate
The article mentions that Skylar Meade is an affiliated member of the Arayan Knights, a white supremacist prison gang based primarily in Idaho.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) officers as they are reporting on an incident that involved IDOC officers. The article also mentions Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center staff and patients which could be another potential conflict.
The article mentions Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center staff and patients as victims of the shooting attack, but it does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between the author and hospital staff.
The article reports that an inmate escaped during a shooting attack on police at the hospital where he was being treated, but it does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between the author and IDOC officers.
Skylar Meade escaped custody during an early Wednesday morning ambush at a Boise area hospital that left three corrections officers wounded.
The alleged shooter was identified in a police news release Wednesday evening as Nicholas Umphenour, who is accused of aggravated battery against law enforcement and aiding and abetting an escape.
One of the officers wounded by the suspect is in critical but stable condition, while the other two have non-life-threatening injuries. The third corrections officer was wounded by gunfire from a responding police officer who believed the shooter was inside the emergency department and saw an armed individual near the door.
Accuracy
An Idaho inmate escaped custody during an early Wednesday morning ambush at a Boise area hospital that left three corrections officers wounded. The attack and escape happened at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center as inmate Skylar Meade was being discharged from the hospital just after 2 a.m. MT.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article mentions Skylar Meade as an escaped inmate but does not mention that he was being taken to a hospital for medical treatment at the time of his escape. This creates a false impression that Meade had already successfully escaped from prison and is now on the run. Secondly, when describing Umphenour's arrest warrant, it states 'he has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Battery against law enforcement', which implies that he attacked police officers while they were trying to apprehend him. However, this contradicts the statement made later in the article that an IDOC employee fired his duty weapon at Umphenour after he attacked and fired at them first. This creates a false impression of Umphenour being innocent and falsely accused by law enforcement officers.
The title mentions Skylar Meade as an escaped inmate but does not mention that he was being taken to a hospital for medical treatment at the time of his escape.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the investigation led them to identify Umphenour as a suspect and confirmed that he is an associate of Skylar Meade without providing any evidence or citation for this claim.
>Police say as they were getting ready to take Meade back to IDOC, Umphenour attacked and fired at the officers.<br>The news release says one officer was shot by the suspect and is in critical but stable condition. The second shot by the suspect has serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the third was hurt during gunfire from a responding Boise Police officer and has non-life-threatening injuries.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable by referring to the shooter's actions as a 'brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel'. This is an example of using language that dehumanizes those who hold opposing views. Additionally, the article mentions that Umphenour has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Battery against law enforcement and one charge of aiding and abetting an escape. The use of monetary bias can be seen in this sentence as it implies that there is some sort of financial gain to be had by committing such crimes.
The article uses language that dehumanizes those who hold opposing views, for example: 'This brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel'.
