A riot at the Aiken County Detention Center ended peacefully Sunday afternoon with no officers or inmates injured, according to a sheriff’s spokesman.
The Wire Road facility is currently under lockdown with all inmates in their cells, sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said at 6:45 p.m. Sunday.
The uprising started when one inmate in a male pod caused a disturbance somewhere around 5 p.m. Sunday. Jail staff moved in to address the inmate, but the entire pod of inmates came out of their cells in “one big disturbance,” Capt. Abdullah said.
The detention staff moved out of the pod and called in additional resources, including their own patrol deputies, the SWAT team, SLED, and officers with the S.C. Highway Patrol, Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, and Aiken and North Augusta public safety departments. Area residents reported seeing a mass of patrol cars parked at the jail.
The uprising eventually subsided with the presence of additional officers, with inmates returning to their cells and sitting on their bunks as ordered.
“It’s completely under control,” the captain said, adding that an investigation will determine charges against inmates involved.
Capt. Abdullah confirmed that it was considered a “riot,” but he said there was no property damage.
