One year later, Delaware remembers officer killed in prison riot
WILMINGTON, Del. — This week marked the anniversary of Sgt. Steven Floyd's death in a two-day prison riot at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. Floyd and three other employees were held hostage Feb. 1-2, 2017.
Floyd, who was a 16-year veteran of the Department of Correction, was pronounced dead after the 18-hour standoff. Officials, co-workers and Delawareans shared the ways they remember the riot and Floyd.
The "Support Delaware DOC Personnel" cause page wrote that they honored Floyd with a Memorial Wreath presented by the CERT Honor Guard and Warden Dana Metzger at the James T Vaughn Correctional Center gatehouse Feb. 1. They brought the flag to half-mast during the procession, the post said.
One officer described a harrowing story of his first day, the day the riot started.
Another co-worker at the prison posted a photo and wrote the following:
Others, expressed dismay with the prison for serving cake and ice cream Jan. 31, on the eve of the riot anniversary. Jayme Gravell, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Correction, confirmed that cake and ice cream were served to inmates that day.
The food director at the prison, Chris Senato, said the dessert was meant to be given to inmates New Year's Day, but it wasn't ordered in time. Senato said he made the decision to serve it.
"There was no ulterior motive involved at all, frankly, if that's all it takes to keep the inmates quiet on the day of the lockdown, then so be it," Senato said in a Facebook comment.
The Delaware Department of Correction invited all to a "Show Love, Share Love" Event remembering Floyd on Feb. 9 in Dover.
Follow Josephine Peterson on Twitter at @jopeterson93