Riot at Bridge City sends 3 to hospital, including employee

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Bridge City Center for Youth is under control Friday (June 17) morning after inmates broke out of their living quarters, causing a riot. Two inmates and an employee were injured.

Officials say before 10 p.m. Thursday night, deputies were called to the facility after about 20 youths escaped their living quarters and took over part of the detention center.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office says two juveniles housed at the facility were hurt and one employee was hospitalized with minor injuries because of the riot.

Four juveniles escaped but were recaptured.

Officials are looking into what exactly started the riot.

Deputies from all four patrol districts, canines, and even the swat team were called to restore order.

“It takes a lot of personnel to come here and secure a facility of this size,” said Jason Rivarde, sheriff’s public information officer. “It’s what we have to do because of the problems we are having here.”

This marks the second escape in less than 24 hours and the sixth since the beginning of the year.

Officials say this is the fourth time a response like this was necessary at the facility in the past two years.

Thursday’s riot and escape came just hours after five inmates escaped early Thursday morning. Four of them were recaptured and a 16-year-old boy from Tangipahoa Parish is still on the loose. There is no word on whether the two incidents are connected.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2022 WVUE. All rights reserved.