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Tehachapi prison fight breaks out
| Thursday, Sep 4 2008 11:04 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Sep 5 2008 4:43 PM
A fight broke out Thursday evening among scores of inmates at a Tehachapi prison.
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Up to 180 people got into a fight at about 7:15 p.m. at the California Correctional Institution, according to Lt. Brian Parriott, spokesman for the prison. The fight was apparently between inmates from Southern California and inmates from Mexico.
The disturbance was quickly quelled by correctional officers, who used batons, pepper spray and foam rubber projectiles to stop the inmates from rioting, Parriott said.
Those involved in the disturbance were separated from those not involved. The incident happened in the minimum security facility which houses 1,219 inmates.
Medical staff sent six inmates to local hospitals for examination of their injuries, and five were later returned to the prison, Parriott said.
No correctional officers were injured.
The institution, including the medium and maximum-security units, was placed on lock-down so the incident could be investigated, he said.
The total prison has 5,780 inmates.
The cause of the fight was being investigated and officers were trying to determine who took part in fighting, Parriott said.
The Tehachapi brawl comes a week after a massive riot at the Lerdo Jail that injured a couple dozen prisoners. No deputies or jail staff were injured in the fight, which involved several hundred inmates.