Folsom Inmate Slain in Brawl; 5 Hospitalized

A prisoner was stabbed to death Thursday at the new wing of Folsom Prison in what authorities said was a racially motivated brawl involving 25 prisoners at the high-security institution.

To quell the fight, correctional officers fired at least 10 shots, wounding three inmates. Two other prisoners suffered inmate-inflicted stab wounds, said Lt. Cammy Voss, public information officer at Folsom.

The five wounded men, three of whom were in serious condition, were taken to Sacramento-area hospitals for treatment. Forty-three other inmates were treated at the prison infirmary for cuts and bruises.

Department of Corrections spokesman Tipton Kindel identified the dead man as Michael Coleman, serving a prison term for a robbery in Los Angeles County. He was dead on arrival in the prison infirmary.

Voss said authorities did not know what started the incident. She said although the fight was not gang-related, it apparently was racially motivated. The combatants were black and Latino, she said.

The fight broke out about 10 a.m. in an exercise yard. About 300 prisoners were in the yard at the time. Officers cleared the yard within an hour and locked down the institution.

“We do have control of the situation,” Voss said.

The death was the fourth this year at Folsom Prison.