DERMOTT -- A daylong standoff with a prison guard at the Arkansas Department of Correction's Delta Regional Unit in Dermott, in Chicot County, ended Saturday evening with no injuries, a spokesman said.
Solomon Graves, a spokesman for the Correction Department, said Saturday afternoon that personnel from his department and the Arkansas State Police responded to "an incident" at the prison, but he would not say what the occurrence was.
Graves said the situation did not involve inmates and that no one had been injured. When asked whether a prison guard was involved in the situation, Graves said Saturday afternoon that he had no other information to provide.
Chicot County Sheriff Ronald Nichols later confirmed that a prison guard with a rifle had barricaded himself in a tower at the prison unit for much of the day before finally surrendering.
State police later identified the guard as Devonte McCarter, 24, of Greenville, Miss.
A guard in a blue shirt could be seen pacing in the tower Saturday afternoon, and Department of Correction Director Wendy Kelley was overheard talking on a radio to someone in the prison.
"We know you've been up there for a long time and are probably hungry. Let us help you," Kelley said.
Negotiators also were heard talking to the guard by radio Saturday evening. At one point, they were heard ordering Popeye's chicken for him and asking him to talk about himself.
McCarter did not respond to most of the questions, though at one point he asked to speak to another guard.
A truck with a cherry picker drove toward the prison after sunset, though the cherry picker was not seen being extended toward the tower where the guard was.
After the truck left, two armored cars, a pickup and an ambulance drove onto the prison grounds around 8 p.m.
Around 8:30 p.m., Graves said the situation had been resolved.
"Director Wendy Kelley is appreciative of the support of the Arkansas State Police," he said. "Per policy, this situation will be referred to Arkansas State Police for investigation."
Graves referred questions to the Arkansas State Police.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said in a news release that McCarter surrendered about 7:50 p.m. He was taken to the Drew County jail and charged with commercial burglary, Sadler said.
The prison standoff began Saturday morning, and state police were called to render assistance about 11 a.m., Sadler said.
Nichols said he was not notified about the situation until about 1:30 p.m. He was disappointed that state authorities had initially tried to handle it without telling him, he said.
The prison was never placed on lockdown, and the inmates were never in danger, Graves said.
J.R. Davis, a spokesman for Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office, said Saturday afternoon that the governor's office was aware of the situation, but he declined to comment further.
The Delta Regional Unit was accredited in 1990 and has a prisoner capacity of 599, according to its website.
The prison is located at 880 E. Gaines St. in Dermott, about 70 miles southeast of Pine Bluff. It is in a rural area and is surrounded by cotton fields.
Information for this article was contributed by Austin Cannon of Arkansas Online.
Metro on 10/02/2016
