Eighty-eight inmates and three guards were inside the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center when the incident began
Order was restored to a North Carolina jail after inmates overpowered guards, took them hostage and briefly seized control of portions of the facility, authorities said Monday.
The incident began at 5 a.m. at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor when inmates assaulted on-duty correctional staff and took control of parts of the jail, said Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin.
“Our top priority is the safety of our staff, inmates, and the surrounding community,” Ruffin said earlier. “We are coordinating closely with multiple law enforcement partners to resolve this situation safely and as quickly as possible.”
Two corrections officers were taken hostage, while a third corrections officer escaped, Ruffin said. The first responding deputy arrived within two minutes of the initial alert but was unable to enter the jail.
Authorities quickly set up a perimeter around the detention center.
At the time of the takeover, 88 inmates and three guards were inside the facility.