5-22-2024 5:24pm

Otero County New Mexico Releases Statement on Detention Center Riot Ending at 1am Today

Chris Edwards Editor

In a developing story yesterday AlamogordoTownNews.org confirmed a police and fire department action at the Oretro County Detention Center resulting in a variety of law enforcement agencies descending upon the facility around 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The backup law enforcement was on hand until 1 a.m. this morning to bring the issue under control.

We then ran a follow-up story describing past events, an investigation into suicide attempts and health care and the spiralling operating costs that have quadrupled over 4 years at this facility all the while staff has raised safety concerns to the media.

Now this afternoon, around 4 p.m. Otero County officials released a statement identifying and confirming the events of Tuesday night. The release confirmed that a riot event was started by 8 detainees in the maximum security section of the facility. Previously in the day detainees in the section received a disciplinary infraction due to threats against a staff member. After receiving notice of disciplinary action the inmates initiated hostilities. Eight detainees barricaded themselves onto the 2nd level of the unit. Staff attempted to deescalate the issue. At 8 pm backup law enforcement personnel were dispatched due to inmates in procession of weapons and a failure to deescalate. Detainees set fire to brooms causing the fire alarm to activate. It took several hours to bring order and the issue was resolved and controlled by 1 am. The eight detainees were subdued, apprehended and placed into another facility with enhanced charges pending.

The DA's office has not yet released a statement with the names of the 8 people who instigated the riot situation nor detailed the charges that will be filed against each. Given the circumstances of being the high security level of the facility the individuals involved are of a higher risk of violence. An inside individual that asked not to be named reported that inmates in that section include inmates such as De La Ore and others that have a history of violence against law enforcemen. De La Ore is still housed in the Otero County Detention center pending a trial for the death of Officer Ferguson and other related charges. The DA's office nor other law enforcement officials would not confirm nor deny his participation on the record nor the names of other persons of interest until the DA releases a statement on the charges he intends to file and prosecute.