45 Liberty County Jail inmates took over 2 dorms during multi-hour riot, officials say

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Inmates in the Liberty County jail managed to take over two dorm sections during a multi-hour riot Thursday morning.

Sgt. Oscar Martinez with the Liberty County Sheriff's Office told ABC13 staffers were conducting standard shakedowns at the dorms where they searched for contraband or homemade weapons when the riot began. Martinez said when inmates were allowed back in, they began breaking and throwing objects at authorities.

"They were upset. They didn't like the shakedown; they said we're not doing our jobs," Sgt. Martinez said. "At that point, they started breaking the windows, so we retreated into the hallway, and we requested additional units to respond."

There were approximately 45 inmates between the two pods and just 15 law enforcement officers when the riots began. That's why deputies made the decision to back out of the dorms until additional officers arrived.

"We were outnumbered at the beginning. They knew what they were doing, that's why we had to respond and request additional units for backup," Martinez said.

Martinez said the additional officers and use of non-lethal gas eventually restored order, but it took at least two hours for everything to be back under control

One inmate was hospitalized with non-serious injuries. No deputies were hurt.

Martinez said some of the instigators of the riot could face additional charges. In addition, Liberty County will reevaluate its procedures to prevent a similar riot from happening again.

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