Around 30 juveniles in the Adair Youth Development Center apparently gained control of at least one wing of the facility Friday night and at least one corrections officer and several juveniles were injured before law enforcement was able to get back control of the facility.
Local law enforcement and EMS were called around 9:30 p.m. with information that juveniles had broken loose and had assaulted guards. The youth were never outside of the facility but had apparently taken keys from a guard and opened a number of cells. At one point, an officer reported that juveniles were inside a hallway and were “tearing up the place.”
Local officers quickly began arriving on the scene and waited until multiple units were available before entering. Officers went in and began taking control at around 10:18 p.m. A short time later, a corrections officer walked out of the facility with assistance from officers and was taken to T. J. Health Columbia by Adair County EMS for medical treatment
He was followed by a female juvenile, who also walked to an ambulance.
Between 10:28 p.m. and 11:40 p.m., three juveniles were brought out of the facility, one walked out with an escort and was wearing handcuffs and two were brought out of the facility on a stretcher. They were all taken by EMS to T. J. Health Columbia.
Around 12:30 a.m. two more people were taken by EMS but it was not confirmed if they were youth or corrections officers. In total, eight people were taken by EMS to the hospital.
Police were still on the scene at 1 a.m. Saturday. The situation was under control but the juveniles had not all yet been returned to the proper cells.
The Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department and Kentucky State Police were on the scene. Fish and Wildlife officers, the Cumberland County Sheriff and a deputy sheriff from Russell County also went to the scene to offer assistance.
Friday night’s incident follows another attack in September at the same facility when two juveniles attacked a guard and took the keys and a radio then attacked a third youth, according to a report by the Lexington Herald-Leader. An official with the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet said they were able to get the situation under control without calling law enforcement.
The Community Voice will report additional details as they become available.
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UPDATED SATURDAY 2:36 P.M.
Attempts to reach officials at the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice have been unsuccessful. Kentucky State Police released the following at 1:28 p.m. Saturday:
NEWS RELEASE
KSP Responds to Riot at Adair Regional Detention Center
COLUMBIA, Ky. (November 12, 2022) – On November 11, 2022 at approximately 9:40 P.M. CST, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 15 received a call requesting assistance with a riot at the Adair Regional Detention Center, a maximum security juvenile detention center, located in Adair County.
The initial call was regarding a juvenile who had assaulted a staff member, confiscated the staff member’s keys and released other juveniles from their cells.
KSP troopers, along with other local law enforcement officers, entered the facility and restored order.
Several staff and juveniles were injured during the incident and transported to the hospital for treatment.
KSP has launched an investigation and Detective Zach Scott is investigating the incident. Charges against the juveniles are pending further investigation.
