Minister says prisoner used razor blade to threaten guard

SASKATOON — Corrections officials in Saskatchewan say it appears a prison inmate escaped from a Saskatoon hospital by holding a razor blade to a guard’s throat while he forced a second guard to take off the shackles.

The escape happened Tuesday morning while the guards were helping the prisoner go to the washroom, said Corrections Minister Christine Tell.

“This particular prisoner was shackled to the bed and for this prisoner to use the washroom ... you have to unshackle them from the bed,” said Tell. “In the process of him getting out of the bed ... the guards were then forced into removing the leg shackles that were on him and hence his escape.”

“If the inmate had a razor blade at your throat, you would likely comply with whatever he wanted the person to do,” Tell added.

She could not say how the inmate got a hold of the razor blade.

She said a review will determine whether proper procedures were followed.

“It doesn’t happen often where we have inmates escaping like this. They have to end up at the hospital. When you’re in a hospital situation you lose the secure facility that you have at a jail,” she said.

“It is a tense situation guarding a prisoner. This prisoner was guarded, two guards, 24-7 for the number of days that he was in the hospital.” The guards were not hurt. Police caught the inmate late Tuesday.

Steven Eric Best, 29, was serving time for weapons offences and now faces charges of assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement and escape lawful custody.

He is scheduled to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Thursday.