May 16, 2007 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

The fast action of several Fayette County Prison guards and some helpful inmates quelled an attempted prison break Monday night. Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon said Tuesday that the small riot broke out just after 10 p.m. when three inmates decided to try and escape the jailhouse.

According to Vernon, the inmates hid in the shower of the prison’s E Range, as the other prisoners reported to their cells for 10 p.m. lockdown.

Vernon said after lockdown, an unidentified custodian escorted by prison guard Tammy Popiesh entered the shower area to clean when the three inmates jumped them.

The inmates sprayed the custodian and Popiesh with a fire extinguisher, took Popiesh’s handcuffs and then locked her hands behind her back with them, Vernon said.

The men then tied a towel around her head and gagged her mouth with torn pieces of bed sheets, Vernon said.

At that point the custodian ran for help and prison guards including Lt. Jackie Arison, James Hoffman, Roger Jeffries, Bruce McCombie, Jessica Dahlgren, Jack Rhodes and William Covin ran to the scene.

The inmates used the fire extinguishers to break out two windows to try and escape but were kept from leaving the building by bars on the exterior walls, Vernon said.

The inmates then sprayed the responding guards with the extinguishers and hand-to-hand combat broke out among the prisoners and the guards until the three suspects were subdued, Vernon said. During the melee, Popiesh’s keys came off of her belt and slid into a nearby cell, Vernon said.

While the keys would have allowed all the prisoners on the block to free themselves from their cells, the inmate who discovered the keys instead tossed them back to the guards, something Vernon said kept the situation from escalating further.

“You would have thought that the other inmates would be egging them on but they actually were upset with the actors,” Vernon said. “The guards told me that the inmates kept warning the suspects not to hurt the guard and were actually throwing wetted towels to her because of the fire extinguisher foam that was sprayed in her eyes. It was quite remarkable.”

Vernon said no one was injured as a result of the attack.

She said charges of aggravated assault, inciting a riot, kidnapping, unlawful restraint and terroristic threats will be filed against the three men.

State police Trooper James Garlick is continuing to investigate the incident.

Vernon said she expects charges to be filed today.