Convicted criminal escapes Paris prison by helicopter

A French man serving a 25-year sentence for a failed robbery attempt that resulted in the death of a police officer made a spectacular escape Sunday from prison, the BBC reported.

Redoine Faïd was in solitary confinement at Réau prison when three armed men landed a helicopter in the prison courtyard and freed him, The Telegraph reported. Faïd's accomplices then dumped the helicopter and escaped in a car, the newspaper reported.

It was not Faïd's first escape. In 2013 he used explosives to blast through five prison doors and escape, taking four wardens hostage. He eluded authorities for nearly two months before he was caught, the Telegraph reported.