Inmates at a North Carolina jail overpowered guards early Monday morning and held two officers hostage for hours before releasing them through negotiation, according to state authorities.
The takeover unfolded around 5 a.m. at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said inmates overpowered on-duty correctional officers while 88 inmates and three guards were inside the prison.
Two guards were initially taken hostage and eventually released around 9:30 a.m.
A third guard escaped the facility earlier in the incident.
State authorities confirmed there were no fatalities and no active public threat following the hostage release.
The NCSBI is investigating the circumstances that allowed inmates to seize control of the facility for approximately four and a half hours.
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
SENT ON BEHALF OF BERTIE AND MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFFS
(BERTIE COUNTY, N.C.) — Around 5 AM this morning, inmates at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center overpowered correctional staff and seized control of the facility, prompting an immediate…
— NC SBI (@SBI1937) June 29, 2026
(BERTIE COUNTY, N.C.) — The incident at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center earlier this morning has ended. The SBI and FBI have cleared the facility. All inmates and staff are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries have received treatment. Inmates have… pic.twitter.com/Owxd0sObk7
— NC SBI (@SBI1937) June 29, 2026
