- MARTIN COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — UPDATE: At 5 am on Monday morning, inmates at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center took over the facility. Correctional staff were overpowered and control was seized by inmates.
There were 88 inmates and three guards inside the facility at the time of the takeover. Shortly after the incident began, one guard was able to escape and leave the facility while the other two were taken hostage.
UPDATE: At 9:30 am on Monday morning law enforcement officers were able to safely negotiate the release of 18 inmates and two guards who were held hostage at the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail.
Another large group of inmates were safely released twenty minutes afterward, at 9:50 am. Officials are still working towards a peaceful resolution and full control of the facility.
“Our top priority is the safety of our staff, inmates, and the surrounding community,” said Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin. “We are coordinating closely with multiple law enforcement partners to resolve this situation safely and as quickly as possible.”
The general public is asked to avoid the area while operations are ongoing. There is no threat to the public.
- Bertie County commissioner Vivian Saunders, who also serves on the jail's commission, told WRAL's sister station WITN that a hostage situation unfolded inside the jail on Monday morning around 5:30 a.m.
Martin County Sheriff Drew Robinson and Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said those officers are now safe and are no longer inside the jail as of 9:30 a.m. Monday.
The situation was still active as of 11 a.m. as numerous authorities from across the state, including the State Bureau of Investigation and FBI, worked to regain control of the facility.
Authorities working toward a "peaceful resolution"
According to the SBI, a total of 88 inmates and three guards were inside the facility when the incident began. One of the guards was able to escape, while two others were taken hostage.
Around 9:30 a.m., the SBI said auth
