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| Delaware Prison Standoff Ends With 1 Guard Dead | Delaware Prison Standoff Ends With 1 Guard Dead |
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| SMYRNA, Del. — A longtime Delaware corrections officer died during a more than 18-hour standoff with inmates, which ended Thursday morning when the authorities stormed a prison building. But officials would not say how the officer died, or why he might have been targeted. | SMYRNA, Del. — A longtime Delaware corrections officer died during a more than 18-hour standoff with inmates, which ended Thursday morning when the authorities stormed a prison building. But officials would not say how the officer died, or why he might have been targeted. |
| State officials identified the victim as Sgt. Steven Floyd, who had worked for the Department of Correction for 16 years. The officials, visibly shaken and pausing several times to compose themselves, said that until they knew more about what happened, they were treating all 120 inmates as suspects. They were in Building C of the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna, Del., which is between Wilmington and Dover. | State officials identified the victim as Sgt. Steven Floyd, who had worked for the Department of Correction for 16 years. The officials, visibly shaken and pausing several times to compose themselves, said that until they knew more about what happened, they were treating all 120 inmates as suspects. They were in Building C of the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna, Del., which is between Wilmington and Dover. |
| Inmates took control of the building around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and took four Department of Correction employees hostage. | Inmates took control of the building around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and took four Department of Correction employees hostage. |
| “At this time, I’m not able to give you a motive for the attack,” Robert Coupe, secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. | “At this time, I’m not able to give you a motive for the attack,” Robert Coupe, secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. |
| “I’m not able to give you a description of the weapons,” he added, but some of the inmates had sharpened instruments. | “I’m not able to give you a description of the weapons,” he added, but some of the inmates had sharpened instruments. |
| Officials avoided saying explicitly that Sergeant Floyd had been killed by inmates, and they would not say when he died. They said he was found unresponsive Thursday morning and rushed to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead minutes later. An autopsy will be conducted. Local news organizations said there were unconfirmed reports that an employee had been stabbed. | Officials avoided saying explicitly that Sergeant Floyd had been killed by inmates, and they would not say when he died. They said he was found unresponsive Thursday morning and rushed to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead minutes later. An autopsy will be conducted. Local news organizations said there were unconfirmed reports that an employee had been stabbed. |
| “My prayers all day yesterday was that this event would end with a different result,” Gov. John C. Carney Jr. said. | |
| The Delaware State Police, the Department of Correction and the Maryland State Police breached the building at 5:06 a.m., using a backhoe to break through barricades of metal footlockers that inmates put up behind the doors. At first, officials tried to borrow an armored vehicle for breaching the building, either from federal authorities or from Maryland, but they decided not to wait. | The Delaware State Police, the Department of Correction and the Maryland State Police breached the building at 5:06 a.m., using a backhoe to break through barricades of metal footlockers that inmates put up behind the doors. At first, officials tried to borrow an armored vehicle for breaching the building, either from federal authorities or from Maryland, but they decided not to wait. |
| By 5:32 a.m., officials said, the building was fully secured. | By 5:32 a.m., officials said, the building was fully secured. |
| “We had turned on the water as one of their demands, and they filled those footlockers with water, which created very heavy building blocks,” Mr. Coupe said. | “We had turned on the water as one of their demands, and they filled those footlockers with water, which created very heavy building blocks,” Mr. Coupe said. |
| He said the decision was made to storm the building out of concern for Sergeant Floyd, whom they had not heard from since the siege began. Two of the hostages, both correction officers, were freed uninjured on Wednesday, and law enforcement officials knew that another, a woman who works as a counselor, was alive, because the inmates had used her to communicate their demands to the authorities. | He said the decision was made to storm the building out of concern for Sergeant Floyd, whom they had not heard from since the siege began. Two of the hostages, both correction officers, were freed uninjured on Wednesday, and law enforcement officials knew that another, a woman who works as a counselor, was alive, because the inmates had used her to communicate their demands to the authorities. |
| “We are happy to say that she was not injured in this ordeal, and I would go so far to say that there were actually inmates who shielded this victim and ensured her safety,” Mr. Coupe said. He did not elaborate. | “We are happy to say that she was not injured in this ordeal, and I would go so far to say that there were actually inmates who shielded this victim and ensured her safety,” Mr. Coupe said. He did not elaborate. |
| At first, officials thought that five employees had been taken hostage, but one who was hiding in another part of the building, unknown to the inmates, was able to escape. On Wednesday night, “three maintenance workers that were hiding in the basement that the inmates didn’t know about were able to make their way up from the basement to the roof,” where a tactical team rescued them, said Perry Phelps, commissioner of the Department of Correction. | At first, officials thought that five employees had been taken hostage, but one who was hiding in another part of the building, unknown to the inmates, was able to escape. On Wednesday night, “three maintenance workers that were hiding in the basement that the inmates didn’t know about were able to make their way up from the basement to the roof,” where a tactical team rescued them, said Perry Phelps, commissioner of the Department of Correction. |
| Also Wednesday, 46 inmates left the building and surrendered outside; by early Thursday, there were 74 inmates and two hostages left inside. The inmates who left provided officials with information on the barricades and the locations of hostages, Mr. Coupe said. | Also Wednesday, 46 inmates left the building and surrendered outside; by early Thursday, there were 74 inmates and two hostages left inside. The inmates who left provided officials with information on the barricades and the locations of hostages, Mr. Coupe said. |
| For now, officials said, they were not prepared to say whether any of the inmates who left voluntarily were innocent bystanders or had at first been held against their will. But there will be a thorough investigation of what took place, they vowed, including a review of recordings from security camera. | For now, officials said, they were not prepared to say whether any of the inmates who left voluntarily were innocent bystanders or had at first been held against their will. But there will be a thorough investigation of what took place, they vowed, including a review of recordings from security camera. |
| “It’s not uncommon in something like this for a perpetrator to surrender early to cast suspicion away from themselves,” Mr. Coupe said. Among the inmates, he said, “there are no reportable injuries.” | “It’s not uncommon in something like this for a perpetrator to surrender early to cast suspicion away from themselves,” Mr. Coupe said. Among the inmates, he said, “there are no reportable injuries.” |
| During the standoff, inmates called The News Journal newspaper of Wilmington and had a hostage state their grievances, which included mistreatment and a lack of education and rehabilitation opportunities. | During the standoff, inmates called The News Journal newspaper of Wilmington and had a hostage state their grievances, which included mistreatment and a lack of education and rehabilitation opportunities. |
| The building, with three wings linked by a central hub, houses inmates who are either making the transition from lower-security units to maximum security, or going in the other direction. Altogether, the prison, Delaware’s largest, has 2,500 inmates in minimum-, medium- and maximum-security units. | The building, with three wings linked by a central hub, houses inmates who are either making the transition from lower-security units to maximum security, or going in the other direction. Altogether, the prison, Delaware’s largest, has 2,500 inmates in minimum-, medium- and maximum-security units. |
| “We have to investigate what happened here, determine the facts, to make sure that it never happens again,” Governor Carney said. “The best way that we can honor Sgt. Steven Floyd is to do this work diligently, together and expeditiously.” | “We have to investigate what happened here, determine the facts, to make sure that it never happens again,” Governor Carney said. “The best way that we can honor Sgt. Steven Floyd is to do this work diligently, together and expeditiously.” |