Five hour hostage situation at Trumbull County jail ends; Correctional officer safe

A hostage situation involving a group of prisoners and a guard at the Trumbull County Correctional Institution has ended with the rescue of the guard.

Authorities tell 19 Action News it was over around 8:30 P.M. Wednesday evening, and the guard was not hurt.

Inmate David Martin, of Burnside Ave. in Cleveland, Richard Ware and Kevin Johns overtook correctional officer Joe Lynn around 3:30 P.M. threatening him with an illegal self-made weapon known as a shank. Lynn was doing rounds in a high risk offender area of the jail when he was attacked.

"He went to do a check, everything seemed fine but as he walked up the stairs on the top floor, he was taken from behind," said Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere.

They held him hostage inside Martin's jail cell for several hours. The FBI, Ohio State Patrol, SWAT, U.S. Marshall's and Youngstown Police assisted.

At one point during the crisis one of the hostage-takers actually called 19 Action News.

Reporter Tiffani Tucker spent several minutes on the phone with Martin. He insisted he was innocent and was trying to clear his name. The conversation ended abruptly when Martin put the call on hold.

Martin is accused of capital murder and is currently on trial for allegedly killing Jeremy Cole, of Warren, OH. Johns was recently convicted of rape and kidnapping and Ware is locked up on an aggravated robbery charge.

A hostage negotiator talked with the inmates to resolve the situation.

Around 9:15 P.M. the three inmates, after being questioned, were driven out of the Trumbull County jail. it is unknown where they are being transferred.

Thankfully the guard, Mr. Lynn, is fine.

"Right now he is in the process of being debriefed by a professional and of course we're going to give him time off to recover. Whatever he needs we're going to be there to support him one hundred percent," said Sheriff Altiere.

Like 19 Action News on Facebook for the latest news, weather, sports and giveaways.

Copyright 2014 WOIO. All rights reserved.