Inmate allegedly caused mayhem after slipping hand from cuffs following hospital trip

Brandon police are investigating suspicious circumstances surrounding an inmate's death at the Brandon Correctional Centre.

BRANDON, Man. -- Police say an inmate from a Manitoba jail who escaped during a medical escort assaulted three guards, pushed a motorist out of the driver's seat and then smashed a vehicle into six others during 17 minutes of freedom.

Guards were escorting the inmate back to the Brandon Correctional Centre in Brandon, Man., from the city's hospital on Monday afternoon when police allege he refused to enter the prisoner transport vehicle and kept walking.

Police say he then managed to slip one hand out of his handcuffs and hit the three guards with the handcuffs multiple times, knocking two of them to the ground and resulting in one officer hitting their head on the pavement.

The inmate allegedly hopped a fence and tried to smash an unoccupied vehicle's window with the handcuffs, and when unsuccessful, jumped into an occupied vehicle and pushed the driver out.

Police allege he then smashed vehicles behind and in front of him, nearly hit a correctional officer on the sidewalk, narrowly missed a cyclist and then hit three more vehicles at another location before police were finally able to pull him from the driver's seat and return him to jail.

Two of the guards suffered swelling and bruising, police say, and the third suffered a large bruise with scrapes to his head and neck.

Ryan Joseph Roulette, 28, faces numerous charges including escaping lawful custody, multiple charges of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon and robbery with violence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2022.