Police Respond To Disturbance At Juvenile Detention Facility
SABILLASVILLE, Md. (WJZ/AP) — Charges are pending after a disturbance at a juvenile detention facility in western Maryland in which at least three staffers were assaulted by inmates, authorities said Sunday.
Maryland state troopers and local sheriff's deputies were called to the Victor Cullen Center in Frederick County about 11: 30 a.m. Sunday.
Police established a perimeter, and a Frederick County deputy trained as a negotiator spoke via radio with the juveniles thought to be leading the disturbance.
Officials said seven juveniles subsequently surrendered, and that troopers and deputies entered the facility and took an eighth juvenile into custody without incident.
"I heard a lot of cop sirens coming up through this way, and then I heard 7 or 8 cop cars go by," said Megan Brittain of Sabillasville.
Three staff members at the center were taken to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, state police said. Several others were apparently injured but refused treatment.
Officials said there was no physical confrontation between responding police and inmates, and that all juveniles were accounted for, with no one escaping from the facility.
"They apparently had them in shackles, and they're transferring them to Frederick, I believe," said Anthony Saavedra of Sabillasville. "It hasn't happened for years, but as soon as we saw the cops around, we figured it was something."
The dangerous situation was reminiscent of a deadly situation in Delaware in February 2017.
Prisoners in Smyrna overthrew guards, murdered one guard and held others hostage for nearly 24 hours before authorities regained control.
RELATED: Delaware Corrections Officers Held Hostage By Prisoners File Federal Lawsuit
State police have begun a criminal investigation and said charges are pending.
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