CLAYTON, Mo.—Saint Louis County's top jail official points to staffing issues being partly to blame for a February disturbance at Buzz Westfall Justice Center. The acting director also said issues are being addresses to prevent a future incident. 

The video of a February 7, 2026 incident was released in adherence to a Missouri Sunshine Law request.

Per incident reports, the detainees expressed frustration about dayroom time, phone access and Wi-Fi issues, while refusing to lockdown.

"This incident shows how unpredictable conditions are inside a jail and how important the role corrections officers play,” said said Captain Tim Ware, acting director of the St. Louis County Department of Justice Services. “The discontent of residents that resulted in this incident is all due to our understaffing in corrections officers which required limitations on the residents' movements.”

The report says staff took the detainees concerns to the Watch Commanders Office and upon return, two reports note a detainee said, “we might as well start bussing the windows out this (expletive) then!”

Staff reports also state a riot began as the detainees moved dayroom furniture and some sheets from the jail cells in an attempt to barricade the sally port entry point. Paper and debris were used to obstruct visibility in that area as well. In security camera footage, one justice center resident is seen slinging a basketball at the security camera, subsequently breaking it. Multiple incident reports stated the residents broke TVs, a commissary kiosk and parts of the ceiling. Damages climbed over $30,800 dollars, per St. Louis County.

“1935 hours, (redacted) opened the inner sally port door and I deployed the first (pepper-spray) grenade,” stated a responding officer in his incident report. “Inmates were directed to return to their cells; no compliance was gained.”

Due to “ongoing non-compliance,” the officer reported three more uses of pepper-spray grenades at 7:40, 7:50 and 8:15 p.m.

“Approximately 15 minutes after the fourth deployment, inmates began moving toward their cells—once an entry point was established, we entered the unit and ordered all inmates to the ground in a prone position with their hands behind their backs. All inmates complied.”

34 detainees were flex-cuffed and shortly after they were given medical attention afterwards. Ware believes this incident could have gone better with additional staffing.

“I look forward to renegotiating our collective bargaining agreement so that St. Louis County corrections officers can be paid equivalent to other corrections officers in the region,” said Ware. “The response to this incident also showed gaps in staff preparation, training and department leadership that are being addressed so that the next incident is de-escalated with less disruption. That said, we are grateful that no corrections officer or resident was significantly injured during this incident."