Order was restored at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor, North Carolina, on Monday after inmates assaulted guards, seized two officers as hostages, and briefly took control of portions of the facility. Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin confirmed that the standoff — which began at 5 a.m. with 88 inmates and three staff members inside — ended without fatalities, with all personnel and inmates accounted for by early afternoon.
How the Takeover Unfolded
A jail takeover is an event in which incarcerated individuals wrest physical control of a housing unit or portions of a facility away from correctional staff. The danger is acute: officers trapped inside have no immediate means of exit, and any outside response risks escalating harm to hostages. That dynamic defined the opening hours at Bertie-Martin.
The incident began at 5 a.m. when inmates assaulted on-duty correctional staff and seized control of parts of the jail, Sheriff Ruffin said. Two corrections officers were taken hostage; a third managed to escape. The first responding deputy arrived within two minutes of the initial alert but was unable to enter the facility. Authorities established a perimeter around the detention center as law enforcement partners were brought in to coordinate a response.
Negotiations Produce a Staged Release
At around 9:30 a.m., following negotiations, 18 inmates and the two captive officers were released unharmed. Minutes later, a larger group of inmates was also released from the facility. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation then entered the jail and worked to return the remaining 10 inmates to custody.
Facility Cleared, Damage Assessment Ongoing
By approximately 2 p.m., the SBI announced the facility was fully cleared. All inmates and staff were safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries had received treatment, the agency said. Inmates were transferred to other facilities for housing, and the detention center was to remain secured while personnel assessed the extent of the damage. The public was asked to continue avoiding the area while crews worked to clear the scene.
Cause Remains Under Investigation
Sheriff Ruffin said investigators had not yet determined what triggered the incident. At no point during the standoff was there a threat to the surrounding community, he added.