OKEECHOBEE — Twenty-three juveniles at the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facility in Okeechobee were apparently involved in a riot at the facility on Monday night.

According to Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy N. Wenrick’s report, at around 5:44 p.m. on Aug. 10, deputies were dispatched to the facility at 5050 N.E. 168th Street, following a request from the facility for help.

The teenage inmates had taken over part of the facility and armed themselves with broken glass and other weapons.

“Michael Durham, facility administrator of True Core, requested law enforcement to respond to the Level 10 juvenile detention facility to due rioting,” Wenrick stated.

The inmates who live in the east wing of the facility were separated into three pods, Wenrick explained. They barricaded themselves into their pods, breaking the glass on the interior and exterior of the pods, and destroyed the furniture, televisions and other electronic devices inside. One of the three pods was flooded due to the inmates breaking a water line in the pod.

As the deputies arrived, inmates were attempting to break open the exterior doors of the pods to escape into the courtyards.

Assisted by OCSO K-9 officers, deputies were able to enter the pods, subdue all of the inmates inside the dorms and escort them out to waiting facility staff.

“No force was used during the apprehension of the inmates due to the use of sheriff’s K-9s and the number of staff present,” Wenrick continued. “After the inmates were apprehended, they were turned back over to TrueCore staff members and placed back into the non-damaged cells.”

Those involved will face charges of inciting or participating in a riot and criminal mischief.

For more on this story, see updates on this website.