Several correctional officers were assaulted on Friday when inmates refused to transfer between pods at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center in Darlington, prompting officers to retreat under protocol and seal off the unit. Deputies responded, took back control of the pod, and detained everyone involved, while the officers’ injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
According to the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, the trouble began when correctional staff attempted to move several inmates from one pod to another inside the detention center. The inmates refused to be transferred and assaulted several correctional officers, as reported by WMBF News. Officers retreated per protocol and placed the unit on lockdown before deputies arrived to secure the area.
Pod Vandalized as Deputies Moved In
Once deputies reached the scene, they were able to maintain control of the pod and detain all of the inmates involved, the sheriff’s office said. Several inmates vandalized the pod they were in during the disturbance, according to the same report. The injured correctional officers were being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, and no inmates were hurt during the incident.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that the disturbance was contained within the facility, stating there is no threat to the public. Investigators said the case remains open, and charges will follow once all evidence has been reviewed, a point WPDE also reported in its initial coverage of the assault.
Inmate Charged in Separate Jail Assault
Separately, Darlington County authorities have filed charges against inmate Sadarius Douglas in connection with an assault on a jail officer. Douglas was charged with second-degree assault and battery, third-degree assault and battery, and prisoners carrying or concealing weapons by inmates, according to WBTW. The sheriff’s office said Douglas allegedly pushed a jail officer, who fell, during an incident involving a metal object in B Pod. That officer was taken to a hospital and has since been released, the station reported.
Darlington County Magistrate Deatrice B. Curtis denied bond for Douglas, according to WPDE’s coverage of the bond hearing. Douglas is currently held at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center on an armed robbery charge out of the City of Darlington but may be transferred to another facility, the station noted.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Regional Jails
Assaults on correctional staff are not unique to Darlington County. In November 2024, a South Carolina correctional officer was assaulted and another was attacked by several inmates at Lee Correctional Institution, as reported by WYFF4. And this past June, authorities in North Carolina had to retake control of a jail after inmates overpowered correctional staff and took over parts of the facility, according to the Associated Press.
For now, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office has not released further details on the number of officers or inmates involved in Friday’s disturbance, and it remains unclear whether Douglas was connected to that incident or to a separate assault at the same facility. Investigators continue to review evidence before deciding on any additional charges.
