Lucasville Prison Riot

Around 3:00 pm on Sunday April 11, 1993 a riot started when prisoners returning from recreation time attacked prison guards in cell block L. The guards held the keys to the entire cell block and it did not take long for the prisoners to take full advantage of the keys. Four beaten guards were released within hours of the attack but 8 were retained. The riot was started for many reasons but the most obvious reason was TB testing on Muslims, they do not believe in using needles to take blood or for injections. Soon after the take over of the cell block Warren Tate shut off the power and water in the cell block. A "Death Squad" was formed in the beginning hours of the riot and black prisoners killed 5 white inmates. After this happened the two largest groups of inmates (the Muslims and the Aryan Brotherhood) meet to discuss the organization of the riot. They decided that only blacks could kill blacks and whites could only kill whites. The teamwork of the two groups was evident throughout the 11 day riot and at the end of the riot through negotiations and surrender.

Of the inmates that were killed most were viewed to be snitches. Most prisoners hated these other prisoners. Most of the killed inmates were tortured both mentally and physically before being killed. One inmate had his skull crushed repeatedly with over 200 pounds of weight. Out of all the guards taken hostage only one was killed; Officer Robert Vallandingham. He was selected to be the first officer killed because the demands were not met for the water and electricity to be turned back on. The media made people believe that Officer Vallandingham was violently beaten to death but in reality he was choked to death, which was probably the least painful and quickest death out of all that were murdered.

A lot of what the public thinks about the riot is most likely false information. One reporter said that 172 inmate bodies were piled up inside the prison, when only 11 died.

The reporters did not help the negotiations at all. Inmates with battery powered TV's were able to see sharpshooters position themselves on the roofs. Some negotiators believe the riot could have ended hours after it had started when prisoners tried to negotiate using bullhorns but could not because of helicopters hovering so low. The media wasn't always a bad thing though one reporter was able to exchange a hostage to allow an inmate some air time.