Officials release surveillance video on Henderson Co. Jail riot leaving 3 employees injured

HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Officials have released surveillance video on a fight between inmates that turned into a riot on December 21.

The surveillance video shows inmates breaking out into a riot at the Henderson County Jail.

“Jail staff saw that something was about to happen. They responded quickly. I would say within 30 seconds,” said Henderson County Sheriff Brian Duke.

The video shows employees quickly starting to use pepper spray to break up the crowd of inmates and multiple fights.

They order the inmates to go into their cells for lock down, but some refuse to comply.

“It wasn’t until about five or 10 minutes later, that when the inmates were told to lock down, they turned on the guards,” Duke said.

The video shows one inmate who refused to listen.

When they try to subdue him, he fights back and causes one of the employees to fall and injure his knee.

Another inmate takes one of the pepper spray cans and begins to spray the employees.

“They’ll be criminally charged. There could also be in-house punishments and violations,” Duke said.

Shortly after the footage ends, they receive backup from the Lexington Police Department.

The three employees were treated at the jail. Some inmates were taken to a nearby medical center for treatment.

Duke says that this is one of the worst incidents the jail has had so far.

He also says overcrowding may have played a part.

“This particular pod only had seven inmates over what it’s capacity was, but it’s full,” Duke said.

For now, Duke says the investigation is still ongoing, and he is not sure if they will have any policy changes.

“If we do need to change some things, then certainly we’re open to doing anything different than we need to do,” Duke said.

Duke says the three employees are back to work already.