Authorities said Monday that control had been reestablished at a North Carolina jail after inmates overwhelmed correctional officers, held them hostage and briefly took over sections of the facility.
The disturbance started around 5 a.m. at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor, where inmates attacked staff members on duty and gained access to parts of the jail, according to 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.”
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Officials said an inmate at the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail held two correctional officers hostage Monday, prompting a law enforcement standoff. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation)
Ruffin said two correctional officers were taken hostage, while a third managed to get away. The first deputy responding to the emergency reached the scene within two minutes of the alert but could not get inside the jail.
Law enforcement officers moved quickly to establish a secure perimeter around the detention center.
There were 88 inmates and three guards inside the facility when the takeover began.
An agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation outside the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation)
At around 9:30 a.m., 18 inmates and the two captive guards were released unharmed following negotiations. Minutes later, another large group of inmates was released and left the facility.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) then entered the jail and worked to take the remaining 10 inmates back into custody. At around 2 p.m., the SBI said the facility was cleared.
“All inmates and staff are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries have received treatment. Inmates have been transferred to other facilities for housing, and the detention center will remain secured while personnel assess the extent of the damage,” the agency wrote on X. “The public is asked to avoid the area as crews continue working to clear the scene.”
Officials with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation gathered as they tried to resolve a hostage situation at the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation)
Investigators have not yet determined what triggered the incident, Ruffin added. He said there was no threat to the public.
