An inmate at an Oklahoma prison was fatally shot on Saturday after he took a corrections officer hostage.
The incident took place at around 4:22pm on the 10th floor of the Oklahoma County Detention Centre, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The inmate took the officer hostage while staff members were distributing medication to prisoners, with Sheriff Tommie Johnson III saying that the inmate “overran the officer,” before taking his keys and tying him up.
After the officer was taken hostage, the prison was placed on lockdown for around two hours, while other staff members attempted to deal with the situation.
The unidentified inmate used the officer’s keys to release several other prisoners from their cells, with authorities claiming that many of them helped in the hostage-taking on Saturday.
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“That’s where the inmates that have really been most difficult to manage are housed,” jail administrator Greg Williams said about the floor, which houses 37 prisoners according to NBC News.
Part of the incident was live-streamed on social media by an inmate who took the officer’s phone. The prisoner who sparked the incident was heard complaining about conditions at the facility, claiming: “We can’t take showers” and adding, “The toilet’s backed up. This is what we’re dealing with.”
The inmate filming the prisoner could then be heard saying that the corrections officer “ain’t got nothing to do with this. He just so happens to be a product of the situation”.
A sheriff’s office tactical unit alongside city police responded to the scene and attempted to de-escalate the situation after a request from the prison.
However, an Oklahoma City officer shot at the inmate who took the staff member hostage after he allegedly held an undisclosed object up to the officer’s neck.
The inmate later died from injuries sustained in the incident, according to Aaron Brilbeck, spokesman for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.
The corrections officer suffered minor injuries in the incident and was hospitalised for treatment. Mr Brilbeck confirmed that the officer’s injuries were not sustained during the shooting.
Oklahoma City police Chief Wade Gourley said that his department would lead an investigation into how the incident occurred.
According to Fox News, a small group of protesters gathered outside of the prison after the incident, complaining about the conditions faced by inmates.
Mr Williams said that the prison would investigate whether poor conditions in the facility led to the violence on Saturday.
Non-profit organisation Nondoc.com reported that the prison has been under the oversight of the US Department of Justice since 2009 due to violations related to overcrowding and supervision.
