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Riots threatened at St. Augustine youth detention facility, deputies say

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office confirmed that juvenile detention residents threatened riots at the St. Johns County Youth Academy Saturday afternoon.

SJCSO said the were called by the private, high risk residential facility for assistance Saturday afternoon.

A representative from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice sent Action News Jax the following statement Saturday night:

"The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) takes the safety and security of youth in our custody as our top priority. Today, the contracted provider for St. Johns Youth Academy notified DJJ of a disturbance at the facility. The Department appreciates the quick response of law enforcement to resolve this incident, and we are currently investigating this matter. Should it become apparent that a failure to follow policy and procedures contributed to this incident, staff will be held fully accountable for their actions."

Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole called the facility twice Saturday to talk to the director to see if the lock down previously put in place had been lifted, but the person wasn't able to answer our questions.

On another call to the facility, the employee hung up during the call.

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