THREE INMATES KILLED IN BOTCHED PRISON ESCAPE IN HAITI
(Miami Herald) - By Trenton Daniel
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- United Nations troops and Haitian National Police officers restored a sense of order to downtown Port-au-Prince Sunday afternoon after three prisoners were killed in a botched jail break.
Haitian police say the trio of prisoners overpowered several guards and stripped them of their weapons - three shotguns and an M-14 rifle. The inmates were later killed.
``They tried to get out and were killed,'' said Frantz Lerebours, a police spokesman.
Lerebours said no prisoners escaped.
Outside the national penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince, neighbors and bystanders said gunshots began to ring out about 10 am.
Lionel St. Louis was standing in line at the prison to deliver food to his three cousins when the shooting began. He dropped the food and dashed outside and sought cover in a tight corridor across the street.
``Everybody started running,'' said St. Louis, 36.
St. Louis said the shooting remained steady for two hours.
By mid afternoon, dozens of UN troops and riot police officers blocked off the street leading to the prison's entrance as curious bystanders gathered around.
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