Four inmates at the Shelby County Jail were taken to the hospital Friday evening after “several disturbances” involving objects being set on fire and cell doors being knocked over, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.
All inmates were taken to Regional One in non-critical condition, treated and returned to the prison, commonly known as 201 Poplar.
Jail staff were able to put out the fires and defuse the situation, SCSO said, but added that the inmates were secured “with the use of a chemical agent, allowing the incident to end.” peacefully.”
In a statement posted on social media, Deputy Chief Anthony Buckner said the incident was an example of the need for a new correctional facility and the need for more staff at the prison. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner has long called for a new jail and increased corrections staff.
Friday night’s incident comes after separate incidents involving problems with locking cell doors, previously reported by The Commercial Appeal. In one case, cell doors broke due to a power surge. In another case, SCSO said other doors were broken by inmates and due to the age of the facility.
More: More Cell Locks Broken by Inmates, Aging Memphis Prisons
More: Shelby County deputies move inmates after power surge breaks cell locks at 201 Poplar
In the release, Buckner said Friday’s incident, which began around 10 p.m., was confined to a housing unit at the prison. Although the door to the unit was not compromised, Buckner said it was closed from the inside using sheets to try to prevent authorities from entering the housing unit .
SCSO deputies assisted jail correctional staff in securing inmates. It is unclear what type of chemical agent was used to secure the detainees.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This article was originally published on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County Jail inmates injured after objects set on fire
