Guard Fires Into Fight at Prison, Kills Inmate
An inmate at the state Correctional Training Facility was shot and killed by a guard during a fight in the prison’s yard Sunday morning, authorities said.
Eric Ederer, 27, was killed by a shot fired into the group after a warning shot into the air failed to break up the fight. Ederer, serving a two-year sentence for a drug-related conviction in Madera County, was scheduled to be released in March.
Another inmate, Richard Bernal, 32, was stabbed during the melee. Bernal, serving a five-year sentence for robbery and grand theft, was listed in stable condition at Natividad Medical Center.
The prison will remain in lock-down until an investigation is completed, said prison spokeswoman Starri Hill.
When the fight broke out at about 11 a.m., a guard in the watchtower fired a warning shot. When that failed to stop the fight, another shot was fired at the group, Hill said.
The identity of the guard has not been released. The guard has been reassigned to other duties pending the investigation, Hill said.
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