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FBI probing how sex-for-drugs arrest became jail shootoutGuard killed had unauthorized gun
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- A prison guard's unauthorized gun is at the center of an FBI investigation into how a routine arrest Wednesday turned into a gunbattle that killed a federal agent and the guard. The shootout broke out at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, when federal agents tried to arrest six guards on charges they traded drugs for sex, officials said. One corrections officer began shooting, and federal agents returned fire, killing the gunman, the FBI said. An agent with the Office of Inspector General died in the shootout and a Bureau of Prisons official was wounded. (Watch FBI look for answers in prison shootout -- 2:09) "It just didn't come down exactly as planned," said FBI agent Michael Folmar. "This arrest situation was done in a manner to be very controlled in a situation where nobody would have any weapons and we could take this down so there wouldn't be any violence." Authorities say that plan worked with five of the guards, who were arrested without incident. But the sixth used his personal gun. A Bureau of Prisons statement said the guard -- identified as Ralph Hill -- "retrieved a personally owned weapon and shot at federal officers who were participating in the arrest." It is against BOP rules for guards to have their own guns at the prison, the statement said. How the guard was able to get an unauthorized gun inside the prison is not known. His lawyer said guards are not screened at prison entrances. The FBI said it did not know whether guards go through metal detectors. A grand jury on Tuesday had indicted six guards at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on charges that included exchanging contraband and money for sex with female inmates, and attempting to keep inmates silent through bribes and intimidation. A copy of the indictment was obtained by CNN. (Indictment tells of sex, favors and power) The other five guards pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday during a brief arraignment in federal court in Tallahassee, said Allen Sprowls, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Tallahassee. They will make a second appearance at a detention hearing Thursday, where a federal magistrate will hear arguments on whether they should receive bond. Hill knew he was under investigation and gave a saliva sample for a DNA test, his lawyer said. "He didn't give an interview," said Timothy Jansen, Hill's attorney. "He denied any inappropriate contact in the investigation." A law enforcement source said as the FBI investigates the shooting, it will look into whether Hill was tipped off that the arrests were imminent. The correctional institution is described by the Bureau of Prisons as a low security facility housing female inmates, with an adjacent detention center housing administrative security-level male inmates. (See facility, map) The area where the shooting took place was not accessible to inmates, authorities said. The facility was placed on lockdown after the incident. CNN's Susan Candiotti, Patrick Oppmann and Terry Frieden contributed to this report. 
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