Masked attackers free prisoner during doctor's visit - police warn population

Two men are said to have helped a prisoner escape during a doctor's visit in downtown Essen. The three men are now on the run together. It cannot be ruled out that they were armed, said a police spokeswoman.

The prisoner was taken from a correctional facility to a doctor's office on Kennedyplatz in downtown Essen, the spokeswoman said. There, two previously unknown people helped him escape.

According to information from the “Bild” newspaper, the prisoner was taken under guard to a doctor’s office in a high-rise building on Kennedyplatz. Shortly in front of the practice door, two masked attackers are said to have overpowered, disarmed and tied up the judicial officers. They then fled with the prisoner. According to the report, the police assume that the escapees took at least one pistol with them. According to “Bild”, the prisoner was in custody on suspicion of drug trafficking.

"If you notice a suspicious person, do not speak to them! Call 110 immediately. At the moment, it cannot be ruled out that the perpetrators were armed," the police wrote in the short message service X.