BREAKING NEWS: Inmate Stabs Guard, Escapes Court

Judicial proceedings at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court were violently shattered on Wednesday when a suspected inmate launched a calculated attack, stabbing a prison officer, stealing his uniform, and escaping, leaving a scene of chaos and prompting a massive city-wide manhunt.

The brazen midday incident brought the busy courthouse to a complete standstill, triggering an immediate lockdown as law enforcement agencies scrambled to respond.

According to initial eyewitness accounts and sources close to the investigation, the event unfolded with startling speed and precision.

The inmate, whose identity has not been officially released, allegedly assaulted a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer within a secure area of the court.

In a sequence of actions described by one shaken witness as “savage and mocking,” the inmate is reported to have stabbed the officer, forcibly removed his uniform, and then handcuffed the wounded guard with his own restraints.

Disguised in the stolen ZPCS uniform, the fugitive then walked out of the courthouse, effectively disappearing into the surrounding city centre.

“The court just erupted into chaos,” said a court official who requested anonymity.

“There was shouting, people running, and then the full lockdown order. It was clear something very serious had happened.”

Following the escape, a major security operation was launched.

Police and prison authorities have sealed off the area around Rotten Row, with checkpoints established on major routes out of the city centre.

Officers are conducting floor-by-floor searches of nearby buildings and reviewing security footage from the courthouse and surrounding businesses.

As of this reporting, both the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) have not issued an official public statement regarding the incident, the identity of the escaped inmate, or the status of the injured officer.