Officials: Another hostage out of prison, 2 inside

By: The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

SMYRNA, Del. – Another corrections employee and more than two dozen inmates have been released from a Delaware prison building where inmates had taken hostages, leaving authorities negotiating over the release of two more staffers.        

Authorities initially said five staff members had been taken hostage Wednesday at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna.

But at a news conference Wednesday night they reduced that number to four and said two of those people had been released.

One was freed earlier Wednesday afternoon, the other Wednesday evening.        

Robert Coupe, secretary of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said 27 inmates also left the building that’s been the scene of negotiations all day.        

Authorities said they didn’t know whether the inmates had been held against their will.

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