Uprising, the Vaughn 17

>On February 1, 2017, inmates took control of the C Building at the James T Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna, Delaware. That Wednesday morning, a storm that had brewed for decades finally broke. > >Sgt. Steven Floyd, two guards Joshua Wilkinson and Winslow Smith, and Prison Counselor Patricia May were taken hostage during the nearly 20-hour siege. > >The law enforcement officers worked well into the night in hopes of restoring control over the building and releasing the hostages. > >The release of Patricia May was successful without any harm coming to her. While Corrections Officers Wilkinson and Smith were severely beaten, Sgt. Floyd, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries. > >Despite Building C's maximum security status, there were no cameras inside. The investigators had to rely on the testimony of inmates. Among those who spoke first was Royal Downs, a convicted murderer and gang leader transferred from Baltimore after testifying against his gang for a lighter sentence. > >The testimony of Downs was instrumental in the indictment and prosecution of 17 inmates for the riot, kidnapping, and murder of Sgt. Floyd. > >The state believed they had a strong case and proceeded with group trials for all 17 inmates. > >It was an outcome that no one could have predicted.