Fallen corrections officer hailed a hero in Del. prison standoff

SMYRNA, DE (WTXF) - An investigation continues this morning into the deadly standoff at the Vaughn Correctional center in Delaware.

One of the officers, Sgt. Steven Floyd, is being hailed a hero after losing his life during the 18-hour siege.

"Again Sergeant Floyd was a great man. Even in his last moments as the inmates attempted to take over the building, Sergeant Floyd told a couple of lieutenants to get out of the building and that it was a trap," said Geoffrey Klopp, the President of Correctional Officers Association of Delaware.

Floyd served as a corrections officer for 16-years. He was a husband, father and grandfather, and can also add hero to that list.

Sgt. Floyd, 47, is being credited with saving the lives of his fellow officers. He warned them to get out of the building before he was held captive.

The incident began around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning inside of Building C. Officials say inmates used sharp objects to take over the prison and hold four corrections employees hostage: 3 corrections officers and a female counselor.

Throughout the day and night, two of the officers were released. The counselor was rescued by authorities nearly 20 hours later after police used a backhoe to breach a building at the Correctional Center. The woman was alert, and officials say inmates insured her safety.

Sadly, Sgt. Floyd was found dead.

"Sgt. Floyd was a great man, I knew Steve very well. He was a very passionate man. Cared very much about things. He cared very much about officers. He cared very much about his family, his grandkids his kids. He worked hard so his kids could go to college and they could be what they wanted to be," Klopp added.

Sgt. Floyd is the first corrections officer in Delaware to be killed on the job. An autopsy on the officer's body is pending.An investigation continues this morning into the deadly standoff at the Vaughn Correctional center in Delaware.