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Inmate took guard hostage during escape in Drumheller

Police say an inmate who is on the loose in Alberta made his escape by taking a guard hostage during an escorted temporary absence.

DRUMHELLER — Police say an inmate who is on the loose in Alberta made his escape by taking a guard hostage during an escorted temporary absence.

William Bicknell, who is 42, is considered armed and dangerous.

He has been serving time at Drumheller Institution since 2003 for second-degree murder.

RCMP say Bicknell overtook a corrections officer on a trip back to Drumheller from Edmonton.

The prisoner was able to get several guns and ammunition before breaking into a house and forcibly taking car keys from the homeowner.

He then disabled the telephone and left the homeowner and the guard behind.