A riot on Friday morning at the Alvin S. Glenn detention center in Columbia, South Carolina sent two correctional officers to the hospital – and revived the debate over the safety of correctional facilities in the Palmetto State.
Officers from the Richland county sheriff’s department were responding to the current situation, a law enforcement source familiar with the situation told me early Friday.
According to reporter David Travis Bland of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper, the sheriff’s department’s hostage negotiator – major Maria Yturria – was among those participating in the response.
According to sheriff Leon Lott, two correctional officers at the facility were attacked shortly after 8:00 a.m. EDT by “multiple” inmates at the facility. Early reports indicate the officers’ injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. No inmates were harmed during the attack, Lott said.
According to the sheriff, the two wounded officers are “going to survive.”
Lott said the inmates “destroyed as much as they could” during the riot. He also said at least one weapon – a “shank” knife (or improvised blade) – was recovered from the scene.
It is not immediately clear how many inmates at the facility participated in the melee, although early reports indicate at least a dozen where present within the pod where the violence originated.
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Tommy Crosby, spokesman for the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), told me his agency was tracking developments at the facility throughout the morning.
“We are aware of the developing situation and are monitoring,” Crosby told me.
Crosby added that SLED’s special weapons and tactics (SWAT) units – which have experience in dealing with such incidents – stood ready to assist Richland county were such a request to be made by Lott.
Lott did not request SLED’s assistance, choosing instead to engage a “special response team” from within his own department. According to Lott, the incident was deemed “under control” shortly after 10:00 a.m. EDT.
Located at 201 John Mark Dial Drive (just southwest of Columbia), “the Glenn” is home to an estimated 1,700 inmates.
This is a developing story … please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: FITSNews)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that 2010 San Francisco Giants’ World Series lid pictured above).
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