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       Five juveniles incarcerated at a D.C. youth center in Northeast Washington were arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after they attempted to leave their cell block Sunday to fight with juveniles of another cell block, authorities said.

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       The Youth Services Center, at 1000 Mount Olivet Rd. NE, is operated by the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The 88-bed facility houses young people placed in secure detention by court order, according to the agency’s website.

       A police report said officers responded to the center about 8:25 p.m. Sunday after five people assaulted at least one employee “during their attempt to leave their cell unit and engage in a physical fight with juveniles of another cell unit.”

       The report said one suspect grabbed the employee and would not let her go while another stole her ID badge, using it to open the cell doors of other juveniles.

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       The suspects, who were not named in the police report, were arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer, the report said, and one also was charged with robbery.

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       In a statement, Youth Rehabilitation Services acting director Sam Abed said the incident was “a physical dispute … between several youth and DYRS staff members.” No one required medical attention, the statement said, and D.C. police are investigating.

       “The safety and welfare of both our dedicated DYRS staff and the young individuals we serve are of paramount importance to us,” the statement said. “We are diligently reviewing our existing protocols and implementing measures to prevent any future occurrences within our facilities.”

       D.C. City Administrator Kevin Donahue told News4 that the incident involved boys and girls.

       “We ultimately had about 20-21 young people involved in a fight,” he said. “We had about five or six staff members who … with the help of MPD, gained order.”

       Peter Hermann contributed to this report.

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