Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 2 Racial Fights Leave 9 Prisoners Injured

Two racially motivated fights in separate dorms at Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho broke out between inmates Thursday, leaving nine prisoners with minor injuries.

The scuffles happened within minutes of one another but were unrelated.

The first fight, involving about 60 black and Hispanic inmates--some brandishing broom handles and metal shank weapons--began at 10:18 a.m. at a maximum-security dorm. A prison emergency response team broke it up within a few minutes, prison officials said. Four inmates were treated for cuts and bruises and two were treated for puncture wounds. Two shanks were recovered.

About 20 black and Hispanic inmates began fighting at 10:30 a.m. at another dorm, using similar weapons. That altercation was also quickly broken up by an emergency response team. Three inmates were injured, including one who suffered a broken nose. One shank weapon was recovered.

“No force was used in either disturbance and no deputies were injured,” said Deputy Rich Erickson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Prison officials are investigating what started the fights and will relocate prisoners to try to reduce the chance of another fight, Erickson said.