A five hour hostage situation at the Trumbull County jail ended with the safe release of a corrections guard taken hostage by 3 inmates.  

Authorities “talked it out” with the inmates resulting in the release of the guard who at one point had a homemade prison weapon held to his throat.  

With the safe ending of the crisis, the investigation into how the inmates were able to subdue the guard and taken him hostage begins.

The situation unfolded at 3:13 p.m. Tuesday when Trumbull County Sheriff Tom Altiere said the guard walked up to the top floor of the jail when he “was taken from behind.”  One of the inmates had a shank – or homemade knife – that he used to take control of the guard.  The guard , who has still not officially been identified, was then held hostage by the inmates who used the guard’s cell phone to call a Cleveland television station and eventually make the demand that they be transferred to another jail.

Officials spent five hours negotiating with the three inmates.  They are identified as:

David Martin, 29 of Cleveland
Kevin Johns, 24 of Cincinnati
Richard Ware, 27 of Warren

Martin is awaiting trial for the 2012 murder of Jeremy Cole of Warren.  The charges could bring the death penalty if he’s convicted.  Johns was convicted of rape and kidnapping and Ware has been charged with aggravated robbery.

As to how authorities were able to resolve the situation, Sheriff Altiere said they agreed to the inmates demand to be transferred to another jail.  Altiere said he did not know how the inmates were able to obtain the shank and he would not disclose where the inmates would be transferred.

Sheriff Altiere described the experience for the guard as “very traumatic” and said the guard was being “debriefed by professionals.”

21 News reporter Matt Stone questioned Altiere about the events leading up to the hostage situation and what safeguards would be put in place to assure a similar situation did not happen again.  Altiere said the department will “go over everything with a fine tooth comb” but did not elaborate.

Area law enforcement that joined the effort to end the situation included the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the FBI, Warren Police and the U.S. Marshalls. Altiere described them as “ecstatic” that the situation was resolved peacefully.

Altiere said surveillance tapes from the jail will be reviewed and charges against the inmates will be filed with the Trumbull County Prosecutor.