STARK COUNTY, Ohio — A 12-hour barricade incident involving 12 teens at a correctional facility in northeast Ohio concluded early Sunday.
The teens, who are incarcerated at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility in Stark County, barricaded themselves in a "contained area" after one of them took keys from a youth specialist in his housing unit at around 12:45 p.m., according to the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
Upon taking the keys, the juvenile began unlocking doors to other teens' rooms. A release says the 12 incarcerated teens between the ages of 15-19 ran to a school building on the facility's campus where they barricaded themselves
The ODRC special response team was deployed to communicate with those barricaded. During discussions, the teens told the response team they were armed with "makeshift weapons created from items inside the school, as well as tools from the construction-trade vocational classroom."
After the 12 teens declined to exit the facility, ODRC responders entered and deployed pepper spray, according to the release. All of the teens were back in custody just after midnight.
DYS reports neither the teens or special response team members had any injuries.
All 12 suspects are expected to face new charges. Six teens are still in custody at the facility, while six others were taken to the Stark County Jail.
Lt. Dennis said around 6:30 p.m., in a separate location at the facility, a DYS employee was assaulted by an incarcerated juvenile in an unrelated incident.
The employee was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries that are not life-threatening.
The incident remains under investigation.
According to DYS, pay supplements will now be offered to youth specialists and corrections officers who work at the Indian River housing units for the remainder of the year. Additionally, DYS says it has plans to enter into an agreement with ODRC to supply youth specialists working at the Stark County facility's housing units with body cameras.