Spalding County sheriff: SWAT, K-9 unit breaks up disturbance at detention center
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix released this image of a disturbance in the detention center on May 7, 2021. (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. - The Spalding County sheriff said he was forced to send a SWAT team and K-9 unit into the jail after a group of inmates barricaded the entrance to the housing unit on Friday morning.
The disturbance started around 6:45 a.m. when those inmates used metal bunk beds to block the entrance and there were attempts to obscure surveillance cameras.
"From the very beginning, multiple attempts were made by our detention staff to de-escalate the situation including meeting face to face with the inmates. The inmates that were involved chose not to cooperate with those attempts and the situation began to slowly deteriorate," Sheriff Darrell Dix was quoted in a statement released Friday afternoon.
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix released this image of a disturbance in the detention center on May 7, 2021. (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
The sheriff said deputies and detention staff tried to de-escalate the situation for about three hours before the decision was made to bring in the SWAT and K-9 units.
"I made the decision to deploy the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team armed with various types of less-lethal weapons into the Unit. The SWAT team along with our K-9 Unit and Detention staff made entry, deployed a distraction device, and secured the unit without incident," the sheriff said. "All of the inmates immediately complied when entry was made."
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix released this image of a disturbance in the detention center on May 7, 2021. (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
The sheriff said there were no further incidents and no uses of force.
Sheriff Dix said several inmates have been identified as the instigators and were placed in lockdown. Those inmates face disciplinary charges and further criminal charges, the sheriff said.
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix released this image of a disturbance in the detention center on May 7, 2021. (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
Deputies will be reviewing videos from inside the housing unit to determine if any other inmates were involved and to try to find out what started the incident.
"The other inmates housed in the unit were put in a bad situation because of the behavior of a few instigators. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the incident ended peacefully. Our SWAT Team and Detention staff did an outstanding job in responding to, attempting to de-escalate, and containing this incident before it got out of hand. There could not have been a better outcome," the sheriff said.
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix released this image of a disturbance in the detention center on May 7, 2021. (Spalding County Sheriff's Office)
The inmates not involved will remain in the housing unit, the sheriff said.
The names of those involved have not been released.
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