Shackles removed before Saskatoon prisoner escaped

Saskatchewan's Corrections Ministry is reviewing its procedures aftera prisonerallegedly pulled a razor on guards, compelling them to removehis leg shackles to enable anescape.

Steven Eric Best is back in custody today afterescaping fromSaskatoon's Royal UniversityHospitalTuesday morning.

Best, 29, was arrested at 10:25 p.m. CSTafter being seen downtown in a vehicle, Saskatoon police said.

Police said that Best was a passenger in the vehicle, but that no charges would be laid against the driver. Police said that Best did not hijack the vehicle, and that the driver "assisted us."Media officer Alyson Edwards would not characterize the relationship betweenBest and the driver, or how exactly the driver assisted police.

The arrest, which followed a search involving patrol members, a dog team and a police airplane, happened without incident at Pacific Avenue and 23rd Street East, police said.

Earlier in the day, Best escaped custody at Royal University Hospital where he had been under guard since the weekend with an undisclosed medical condition.

Corrections deputy minister Dale McFeetold CBCNews that Best had been shackled to a hospital bed.

According to theminister, Christine Tell, Best allegedly held a razor to one of the guard's throats in order to get the other guard to remove the leg shackles.

Police in Saskatoon saidBest confined the guards to the room by blocking the door andthen made his getaway.

No one was injured.

The incidentis now under review to see if proper procedures were followed and whether current procedures are adequate, the ministry said.

Besthad beenremanded at jail

Court documents show Best had been previously remanded at the SaskatoonCorrectional Centreand was facing six charges related to an incidentat the Senator Hotel in Saskatoon on Dec 20, 2012.

Those charges include armed robbery, discharge of a weapon and possessing an unregistered handguna Walther PPK.

Police said he will see a justice of the peace Wednesday night and be before a judge on Thursday.

At the time of his December arrest, Best was on parole as part of an 11year sentence, according to the Crown prosecutor and defence lawyer.

Police have not said yet what new charges Best will be facing in connection with Tuesday's escape.