USA29 June, 20262 min read
Inmates Overpower Guards, Take Over Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center Before Authorities Regain Control
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Inmates overpowered guards and seized control of Bertie-Martin Detention Center in Windsor around 5 a.m. State and federal agents regained control, SBI and FBI cleared the facility.
North Carolina jail takeover
In eastern North Carolina, inmates overpowered correctional staff and took over parts of the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor early Monday, prompting a response from local, state and federal authorities. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said three guards and 88 inmates were inside when the takeover began at about 5 a.m., and it ended hours later when law enforcement officers entered the facility and seized control.
“Three guards and 88 inmates were inside the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor when the takeover began at about 5 a.m.”
By early afternoon, the SBI and the FBI had “cleared the facility,” and the state bureau said “All inmates and staff are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries have received treatment.” Inmates took two guards captive while the third guard escaped, and negotiations led to the release of the two guards along with 80 inmates, leaving only eight inmates inside, Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said at a news conference.
Officials cite accountability
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation spokesman Chad Flowers said most of the remaining inmates “complied and exited the facility as soon as entry was made,” after officers entered and secured the jail.
Gov. Josh Stein said on X, “The perpetrators must be held accountable for this horrifying action,” and he added, “We also must do everything in our power to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said the two guards released were undergoing medical treatment but he had no details about their injuries, and he also said there was no threat to the general public.
Authorities did not immediately say whether officers fired any lethal or non-lethal rounds upon entering the jail, and Flowers said law enforcement officials were in a meeting about the incident and unavailable late Monday afternoon.
Aftermath and ongoing investigation
The detention center will remain secured while the damage is assessed, and inmates have been transferred to other facilities, the SBI said. WRAL reported that by noon a cooperative group of law enforcement agencies, including the State Bureau of Investigation and FBI, had contained the situation and was working to regain control of the facility, with “There is no threat to the public.”
“The investigation remains ongoing, and officials say additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
Bertie County commissioner Vivian Saunders told WRAL’s sister station WITN that a hostage situation unfolded inside the jail on Monday morning around 5 a.m., and she said the incident involved 88 inmates and three guards at the time it began. Investigators continued to work after negotiations led to the safe release of 18 inmates and the two guards held hostage, and authorities said the investigation remains ongoing while crews finish clearing the scene.