WINDSOR, North Carolina — Inmates overpowered correctional staff and took control of parts of the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center early Monday, triggering an hourslong siege that ended when law enforcement officers entered the facility and regained control, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said.
Three guards and 88 inmates were inside the facility when the takeover began at about 5 a.m., the SBI said in a statement, prompting an immediate response from local, state and federal authorities, including the FBI. One guard escaped following the takeover, while the other two were held hostage, according to officials.
Negotiations led to a breakthrough at approximately 9:30 a.m., when 18 inmates and the two remaining guard hostages were released without further injury, authorities said. Another large group of inmates was released shortly before 10 a.m. Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said at a midday briefing that approximately 80 inmates had been let out by that point.
By early afternoon, the SBI and FBI had cleared the facility, the state bureau said. "All inmates and staff are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries have received treatment," the SBI said in a statement, though officials did not specify the number or severity of injuries.
Authorities have not disclosed how inmates were able to overpower correctional staff or whether weapons were involved. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein thanked law enforcement for resolving the situation and called for accountability, while the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association pointed to statewide staffing and pay disparities at county jails as an ongoing concern.
The Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center, a medium-security county jail with a capacity of 90 inmates, houses individuals awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or awaiting transfer. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said there is no longer an active threat to the public.
