CDCR: Wasco State Prison correctional officer barricades self inside building for 9 hours

Wasco, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A Wasco State Prison correctional officer is in jail after barricading himself in a building for more than nine hours before surrendering Friday.

According to CDCR, on Friday, January 13, just after 9 p.m, Correctional Officer Shawn Wilder from Wasco State Prison barricaded himself in a building in the north side of the prison that is used by staff to control and supervise inmate movement and activity.

CDCR said Wasco State Prison officials activated their Incident Command Post and Crisis Response Team and communication was established with Wilder.

Staff in the area were evacuated to a safe area of the institution and no incarcerated persons were in the building, according to CDCR.

The team had help from CRT units from Salinas Valley State Prison and Correctional Training Facility; California State Prison, Corcoran and Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, Corcoran; California Correctional Institution; and Kern Valley State Prison and North Kern State Prison.

CDCR said they continued to communicate with Wilder throughout the evening and successfully convinced him to discard his firearm and surrender without incident at 6:37 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Wilder was then taken to Kern County Jail.

CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs and the Office of the Inspector General also helped with response to the incident.

CDCR said all population movement was restricted during the situation but has since resumed for limited programming.

No one else was hurt during the incident.

Wasco State Prison staff are being offered peer support and wellness services.

CDCR is fully investigating this incident to ensure department policies and procedures were followed and identify any areas to prevent this situation in the future.

CDCR said Wilder began his career with CDCR on April 13, 1996 as a cadet at the Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Facility. When he graduated, he was transferred as a correctional officer to Salinas Valley State Prison on June 1, 1996. On March 17, 1997 he began working at Wasco State Prison and left state service due to medical retirement on June 1, 2015. Officer Wilder returned to CDCR employment as a correctional officer at Wasco State Prison on July 16, 2018 where he has been employed since.