Detainees Overpower Guards to Take Control of a North Carolina Jail
by Jo Ellen Knott
On the early morning of June 29, 2026, detainees at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center—a jail in rural North Carolina—staged a rebellion, gaining control of the facility and taking three guards hostage.
Detainees “assaulted on-duty guards and gained control of portions of the building,” according to a press release from North Carolina officials. At the time, the three guards were the only staff on duty. Within a few hours, law enforcement agencies negotiated the release of 18 detainees and one of the guards, The News & Observer reported. By the end of the day, officials had fully re-gained control of the facility.
The jail has a lengthy record of state law violations, including gaps in guard patrols spamming as long as 45 minutes, broken locks and busted security cameras. Inspection records also show issues with the fire alarm system, HVAC system, toilets, lighting system and overcrowding. The jail, which locked up 88 detainees that day, has a capacity of 90.
While there is not a state law that mandates a specific guard-to-detainee ratio, officials had raised concerns for years prior to the jail reaching a staffing level of roughly 30 detainees for each guard. Lydra Freeman, the jail’s administrator, did not announce how many of the detainees participated in the revolt versus how many were taken hostage. All 88 detainees were transferred out of the jail to state prisons.
Sources: The News & Observer, Spectrum News
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