OKLAHOMA COUNTY (KFOR) – For the first time, the former Oklahoma County Correction Officer, who was held hostage with a handmade shank inside the detention center, testified in court. It was also the first day in court for three of the five inmates accused in the riots.

Back in March, officer Daniel Misquez was stabbed several times by inmates who streamed the whole thing live using the officer’s smart phone and social media account.

The former Oklahoma County correctional officer said he felt emotions he never knew before. He said the trauma ramped up his anxiety for months, often unable to leave his home due to the paranoia.

“Daniel Misquez is very fortunate he’s alive today. If it wasn’t for the Oklahoma City Police Department going in there and taking care of this situation, we’d be dealing with his funeral,” said the guard’s attorney, Scott Adams. “That jail is a complete embarrassment to the state of Oklahoma.”

On Wednesday, Misquez took the stand to testify about the terror he faced on March 27, 2021, while meeting face-to-face with inmates Darius Pleasant, Gregory Jordan and Charles Johnson.

The 22-year-old officer said he was taking out the trash in Curtis Williams’ cell. He said the inmate was waiting for him with a shank.

Misquez testified Williams demanded the keys to unlock the cells and snatched them from his hands. Misquez allegedly backed up and called for help on his radio. By that time, Williams had already let inmate Gregory Jordan from his cell. Jordan was tasked with keeping watch over Misquez. The guard testified he asked Jordan if he was going to die and to tell his family he loved them.

Meanwhile, Misquez testified Williams let out other inmates, including Darius Pleasant, who then allegedly let more inmates out with those same keys.

“At the time of the riot, they had not had water for days on end,” said Amberly Taylor, an advocate for the family and director of TNI Voice.

The guard testified his cell phone was taken by one of the inmates who opened up his social media and started live streaming. The inmate handed the phone off to inmate Charles Johnson, who was still inside his cell at the time. Johnson was allegedly filming through a slot in the cell door, known as a “Bean Hole.” During the live stream, Johnson claimed the inmates had not been fed and had no water.

“He’s just a product of his environment in the county jail. He was not trying to hurt anybody,” said Johnson’s mother Tamara Johnson. “He was simply just trying to help the officer.”

Misquez testified Johnson tried to help him wash pepper spray out of his eyes, but the guard declined knowing that would cause more pain. Johnson then helped Misquez get a drink of water.

“’He wanted to wipe my eyes out, he wanted to give me water.’ That doesn’t sound like somebody that’s trying to hurt someone,” said Michael Washington, an advocate for the family. “We believe the officers are the ones that need to be charged.”

“Inmate Charles Johnson is being labeled as a conspirator in the riot when, actually, he is solely a whistle blower,” said Taylor.

Misquez was also hit on the head and stabbed in the lower back multiple times by inmate Justin Leslie, who did not appear in court today.

The chaos came to an end when an Oklahoma City police officer shot and killed Williams, as he held Misquez at knifepoint on the stairs.

Adams blames the whole thing on the jail trust and the lack of resources and funding.

“What we’ve seen with Daniel Misquez is the very beginning of what we’re going to see with this jail trust,” Adams said. “I pray to God someone does something and get’s everyone of those individuals removed from the jail trust and have someone up there who’s accountable and truly cares about people in Oklahoma County.”

Amended charges were added and now Jordan, Pleasant and Johnson are charged with first-degree murder. Their next court appearance will be December 1.

According to online court records, Leslie and the fifth inmate also accused in the riots are scheduled for October 22.