PATTAYA — A guard was severely injured in a dramatic breakout involving a US citizen and two Thai suspects at a court in Pattaya on Monday.
The trio made their escape at about 3pm today from Pattaya Provincial Court. Security camera footage shows one of the suspects stabbed a guard before another accomplice forced other guards to give them the keys using a handgun.
The pistol-wielding suspect also fired three shots outside the court to deter any pursuit. They all escaped by driving away on a pickup truck parked just outside the building. Police said they were still looking for the fugitives as of Monday evening.
It is not immediately clear how they acquired the knife and the firearm.
Chonburi provincial police commander Prakan Prajong said all border checkpoints have been informed to be on the lookout for the three suspects, which include a Thai man, a Thai woman, and an American man.
They were previously arrested on an allegation of possessing 1 kilogram of crystal meth and up to 229,000 tablets of amphetamine.
The guard was also hospitalized for the stabbing wound to his torso, police said.