Alabama Prison In Atmore On Lockdown After Riot Sees Fire Started And Stabbings

A prison in Alabama remained on lockdown Saturday after overnight riots left a guard and the prison’s warden stabbed. The William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, southern Alabama, first erupted into chaos Friday evening after a guard was stabbed nine times while trying to break up a fight between two prisoners.

The prison’s warden, Carter Davenport, was also attacked after entering a prison cell with other guards in the aftermath of the first stabbing just after 9 p.m. Davenport was treated in the prison for his injuries, while the guard was taken to a hospital. Neither injuries are reported to be life-threatening, according to a report by AL.com, the website for the Birmingham News and other papers in the state.

The riot was brought under control early Saturday morning. In the aftermath of the assaults, prisoners gained access to a hallway inside the housing unit and started the fire, according to Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton, who added that Corrections Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) were deployed to the prison and managed to secure the area and all inmates.

It’s estimated that around 100 prisoners were involved in the unrest, while no other areas in the prison were affected, Reuters reported.

Cell phone camera images and video of the riot inside the prison show inmates with faces covered, overturned beds in the housing unit and a fire in the hallway.

Atmore police, Escambia County Sheriff's Office and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency were at the scene to assist in bringing the chaos under control, while Alabama state troopers guarded the perimeter of the facility, spokesman Sgt. Steve Jarrett told reporters. Multiple ambulances were seen heading into the prison area, although it’s not yet known if inmates or security officials were injured.

One inmate with access to Facebook posted that police were mistreating inmates, according to the AL.com report. "Attention: We need yall help here at Holman Correction Facility Prison. The police down here beating on and jus treating us any kind way. We down here fighting for are lifes. Please contact the News, Newspaper, Radio station. NAACP. Help please."

Horton said that emergency teams were sweeping the prison in an attempt to find cell phones and other illegal contraband.