Chaos as jail overtaken by inmates who 'overpowered' guards

A group of inmates "overpowered" the three guards overseeing the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor, North Carolina, authorities reported on Monday.

According to The Associated Press, the inmates "took two guards captive and the third guard escaped," after which more than 20 law enforcement agencies arrived and negotiated the "release of the two guards along with 80 inmates, leaving only eight inmates inside." Per Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin, state officials entered the jail and are securing the remaining inmates, and there is no threat to the general public.

The two guards who were held captive "are undergoing medical treatment but [Ruffin] had no details about their injuries," according to the report.

“Right now we have a lot going on that we’re trying to get under control,” said Ruffin, who did not answer what triggered the uprising or why the facility only had three guards on duty at the time of the incident.

He added that regarding the cause of the incident, “I will release that information to the public as soon as I can.”