2 Inmate Brawls Break Out at Pitchess Center

Eight inmates and five sheriff’s deputies were slightly injured in separate brawls Friday night at the Pitchess Detention Center, authorities said.

The more serious of the two melees appeared to be racially motivated, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman said. It broke out about 8:30 p.m. among 60 black and Latino inmates housed in Dorm 828.

The inmates divided along racial lines and fought hand-to-hand for about five minutes, the spokesman said. Deputies broke up the fracas by firing two “sting ball” grenades, designed to explode and pelt the inmates with tiny rubber balls.

After the fight, one inmate knocked a woman deputy to the floor as deputies were searching the inmates involved in the fracas, the spokesman said. She was treated at the detention center’s clinic for a superficial cut on her hand. The clinic also treated three deputies for minor cuts and bruises and exposure to pepper spray.

Another deputy was treated at the Henry Mayo-Newhall Hospital for a badly bruised left hand and released, the spokesman said.

One inmate was treated at the detention center clinic for scratches he received on his arms and knees while fighting with deputies. Five other inmates also were treated at the clinic for minor injuries.

An earlier fight broke out shortly after 7 p.m. among the 69 inmates housed in Dorm 722, when they began arguing over use of a telephone, the spokesman said. The fight broke up a minute later when deputies ordered the men to stop.

One inmate received minor cuts and bruises and was treated at the center’s clinic. Another inmate received stitches in his lip at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. No deputies were injured in the first brawl.