Patrol: Juvenile barricade ends at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility

MASSILLON − Authorities negotiated for hours with 12 incarcerated youths who barricaded themselves Saturday at the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility before the incident ended early Sunday morning, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

No injuries were reported from the barricade, but a corrections officer was transported by ambulance to a hospital around 6:30 p.m. Saturday for a separate, unrelated attack at the facility, patrol spokesman Lt. Nate Dennis said.

A heavy presence of law enforcement ― including officers in tactical gear with riot shields ― was inside and outside the facility and surrounding areas. In addition to state troopers, Stark County sheriff's deputies, and Massillon and Jackson Township police officers were there, as were Massillon firefighters and paramedics.

More at Indian River:'I'm not dropping this.' Wife of guard assaulted in Ohio youth prison blames the state

The patrol announced around 3 a.m. Sunday via Twitter that the barricade had "concluded with all incarcerated youth safe and in custody." It also said the incident remains under investigation.

Tony Gottschlich, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Youth Services, said Sunday that it's unclear what led to the incidents.

"We are looking at all of it right now," he said.

The barricade and attack occurred as Indian River staff and others at state-run sites have complained about safety and security at the facilities. It also follows a serious attack on an Indian River corrections officer last week that left the worker in the hospital.

Ohio's youth prison system operates three detention centers for felony offenders ages 10 to 21. About 470 youths are in the centers while another 215 are on supervised parole.

Families of corrections officers were angry

Lisa Dolak of Massillon, whose husband works at Indian River, said the 12 youths on Saturday grabbed a key, fled from the center and hid inside Indian River School, which is on the premises. Her husband was not at work Saturday.

Dolak and the families of other corrections officers there decried the system at Indian River, expressing outrage over situations they said have become common.

They all said the facility is understaffed and those who work there are overworked, and incarcerated youths ― mainly in units B, N and I ― have taken advantage of these issues.

"For fun," Dolak said about why the youths create these situations.

Last week, corrections officer David Upshaw, 60, was hospitalized after an incarcerated teen knocked him to the ground, beat him in the head with his radio and took his keys. His wife, Patricia Upshaw, told the Massillon Independent that the father of two and grandfather of three went into cardiac failure and experienced problems with his kidneys and fluid on his lungs.

Sources who work at Indian River have reported that two other assaults occurred last week, including one that resulted in a staffer's broken jaw. On Oct. 8, several juveniles took over the Bravo unit at Indian River for several hours and caused extensive damage but no injuries, sources said.

Amanda Corbin of Louisville and Charlie Morris of Massillon made similar comments. They both have loved ones who work at Indian River as corrections officers.

Corbin said her husband was one of the corrections officers inside unable to leave.

"I have a 10-year-old son. He needs his dad," she said tearfully.

Morris heard from his son who works there.

"All I know it's a s***show," he said. "They got some keys from a guard, tore up the library and got into the shop class and got weapons."

Dolak and Corbin said the Department of Youth Services has to reform the system, make it safer and staff the facility with more corrections officers.

"This happened at 12:45 p.m. (today)," Dolak said, "but because of mandations, the midnight shift I'm sure have been mandated to stay."

The correctional center is across the street from Massillon Marketplace, a busy shopping plaza. The highway patrol used a Walmart parking lot at the plaza as a staging area for officers and others.

Includes reporting by staff writer Malcolm Hall.