Inmates overpowered a staff member and locked him in a shower area Thursday night at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, according to a news release from Fort Leavenworth.
Personnel at the military prison were able to free the staff member. Some prison personnel and inmates were taken to the hospital.
The incident began at about 7 p.m. Thursday when four maximum custody inmates at the Fort Leavenworth prison’s Special Housing Unit assaulted a corrections specialist during a recreation period. The inmates took the correction specialist’s emergency keys and locked him in the prison tier’s shower cell.
The inmates opened the cells of 10 additional prisoners who joined the disturbance in the 24-cell tier.
USDB personnel entered and secured the tier at about 10 p.m. Thursday after the inmates had refused to release the corrections specialist and comply with an order to return to their cells. The prison personnel used only the minimum force that was necessary, according to the release.
The corrections specialist was freed and transported to the hospital for a medical examination before being released back to duty. Two additional soldiers and four inmates were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.
A fifth inmate, who was struck by a non-lethal round, was evacuated to the University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kan. He was is in serious, but stable condition Friday, according to the release.
The maximum custody tier was on lockdown Friday while the remainder of the USDB has returned to normal operations.
