Inmates involved in a prison riot at a juvenile centre used makeshift weapons to break free of their cells and target sex offenders leaving at least six people injured.
Four inmates have already surrendered to police who used cigarettes to talk the young men down from the roof of the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre in Kariong, NSW.
More than 20 young inmates broke out of their cells using chainsaws on Sunday night, attacking staff and other inmates before climbing onto the roof.
Inmates involved in a prison riot at a juvenile centre used makeshift weapons to cut through their cells and target sex offenders leaving at least six people injured
Officers spent Sunday night negotiating with inmates at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre, before finally managing to coax some of the inmates down early on Monday morning
Officers from the riot squad, dog unit, PolAir helicopter and a rescue unit are still negotiating with the remaining inmates still on the roof.
Police have established a secure perimeter, restricting the armed detainees to one building, while they continue negotiate with those who remain on the roof and in the building.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little told media that inmates had targeted sex offenders during the riot which he described as ‘nothing short of horrific’, news.com.au reported.
‘How does this happen? They’ve taken the keys and got control of the centre,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
‘They’ve targeted the sex offenders inside… I understand there’s a kid with a punctured lung.
‘They have set about, as we understand, with the intent to either murdering those offenders or do very very serious harm to those offenders.’
The youths had obtained keys to a maintenance shed, and broke in to steal tools, Nine News reported.
Police are investigating the cause of the riot, and say inmates who stole tools from the maintenance shed used them to help other inmates escape their own cells
They then opened up the cells of other inmates, sparking an overnight siege as riot police tried to talk a group of rampaging teenagers down from the roof.
As of Monday morning, members of the group remained on the roof trying to tear it apart and throwing parts of it at officers stood below them.
The group are armed with sticks and metal poles. While four have surrendered, eight inmates are believed to still be on the roof.
Emergency workers were told to lock themselves in their cars as the balaclava-wearing youths stood on the roof armed with shovels and a chainsaw, hurling abuse at them.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little told media that inmates had targeted known sex offenders during the riot which he described as ‘nothing short of horrific’,
Officers from the riot squad, dog unit, PolAir helicopter and a rescue unit are still negotiating with the remaining inmates still on the roof
Seven people were injured in the riot, with an 18-year-old suffering stab wounds and facial injuries rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition.
Another 18-year-old suffered stab wounds to his head and hands, a 20-year-old had facial and hand injuries, and a 17-year-old had facial and head injuries.
A fifth person, aged 20, suffered injuries to his hand, leg and arm, and a 17-year-old dislocated his ankle after jumping off the roof.
They were all taken to Gosford Hospital, and a seventh person was treated at the scene for a broken nose.
Police were forced to deploy gas to help regain control of the situation, and images show officers handing a cigarette to a young inmate, who is seen lighting up on the roof.
One inmate, aged 17, has been taken to hospital with a fractured leg after jumping from the roof
The riot is believed to have started about 8.30pm on Sunday night, and is ongoing into Monday morning with reports one inmate suffered a punctured lung
Officers were able to convince four of the inmates to come down from the roof by using cigarettes to open up a dialogue
Superintendent Tony Joice told reporters outside the centre a ‘number of inmates have armed themselves with some make shift weapons and gone about assaulting some other inmates within the centre’.
‘What we know at this point is that some of those injuries have involved two persons being stabbed and a number of facial injuries and broken bones,’ he said.
‘They have been taken to hospital under the guard of the juvenile justice staff and are assisting police with inquiries.’
Officers have managed to restrict the armed detainees to a building within the complex, as negotiations continue.
Investigations into the assaults are underway, with a number of crime scenes established within the centre.
Local detectives have established Strike Force Mittabah to investigate the assaults.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Juvenile Justice NSW for comment.
Superintendent Tony Joice told reporters outside the centre a ‘number of inmates have armed themselves with some make shift weapons and gone about assaulting some other inmates within the centre’ on Sunday night