A group of protesters gathered in front of the Oklahoma County Detention Center in Oklahoma City on Saturday night after the prison was put on hold after a hostage situation that resulted in the death of police at an inmate.
Video posted on social media showed a policeman aiming a rifle at the protesters. A KFOR-TV reporter from Oklahoma City described the weapon as appearing to be a “non-lethal firearm”, but the type of weapon has not been confirmed.
OKLAHOMA’S CORRECTION OFFICER TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER BEING HELD IN HOST, HOSPITALIZED AND DEAD
The incident inside the prison happened on the 10th floor, where the most difficult-to-administer inmates are sent, prison administrator Greg Williams told The Oklahoman of Oklahoma City.
After being rescued, a prison guard who was held hostage inside the prison on the day was hospitalized for unspecified reasons. The guard, who was not identified, was able to leave the building on his own, Williams told The Oklahoman.
Outside the prison, the leader of the city’s Black Lives chapter said that Oklahoma County Prison was known for the harsh conditions for prisoners.
“This is nothing new,” Reverend T. Sheri Dickerson told The Oklahoman. “The inhumane conditions in Oklahoma County Prison are horrible.”
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Inmates complained about moldy food, lack of water and lack of showers, Dickerson told the newspaper.
Earlier in the day, before news broke that a prisoner had been killed, Dickerson called for changes to the way inmates are treated.
“They don’t respect the simple dignity of human beings when they get up and say, ‘I am a person. I don’t deserve to be treated like that,'” said Dickerson.