Prison riot sees Tecumseh State prison in Nebraska take

control
Last Updated May 11, 2015 8:34 AM EDT
TECUMSEH, Neb.-- Inmates at a maximum security prison in southeastern Nebraska took control of
at least part of the facility in an incident that left two inmates dead, according to the state
Department of Correctional Services.
In a statement released Monday morning, Corrections staff have secured the Tecumseh State
Correctional Institution, and are currently assessing conditions.
Two inmates were found dead in a housing unit. The identities of the deceased are being withheld
until they can be identified and their next of kin notified.
The Nebraska State Patrol is currently investigating the disturbance as well as the deaths.
All staff have been accounted for, and there is no risk to the public.

Armed personnel patrol the grounds of the

Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, in Tecumseh, Neb., Monday, May 11, 2015. Two inmates
were found dead Monday at the maximum security prison after officials regained control of the
facility following a prisoner riot.
AP Photo/Nati Harnik

The incident started around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the facility when staff members attempted to break
up a large gathering of inmates in front of a housing unit, James Foster, a department spokesman,
said in a statement. There were no reports of any escapes.

Two staff members were assaulted and one inmate was shot Sunday during disturbances at "multiple
housing units," resulting in small fires and property damage, according to the statement.

As of approximately 9:15 p.m. Sunday, the exterior of the facility was secured and all staffers were
accounted for, according to the statement, which gave no other details. Smoke rose from two
housing units on Sunday and driveways to the prison were blocked, the Lincoln Journal Star
reported. Foster said officials were still trying to clear and secure all areas at 2 a.m.
The Journal Star reported it received a call from inmate Jeffry Frank just before 11 p.m. Sunday via a
case manager's office phone.
"We've pretty much taken the whole prison," Frank told the newspaper.
He said that no prison employees were inside the housing unit and described the scene, saying: "The
ceilings are fallen. There's drywall on fire. There's cameras torn down," according to the Journal
Star.
Foster told the Omaha World-Herald that inmates had gained access to an office with a phone.

At some point during the disturbance, a second

inmate was injured by a rubber projectile,
according Foster's statement. The injured
officers and inmates have received medical
treatment, he said.
The 960-bed Tecumseh State Correctional
Institution opened in 2001 in Johnson County, about 60 miles southwest of Lincoln.

2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten, or redistributed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/inmates-riot-take-over-part-of-state-prison-in-neb/