7 Inmates Injured in Pitchess Brawl
A fight between black and Latino inmates at the Pitchess jail left seven prisoners injured Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The most seriously injured inmate was treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for a broken ankle, Deputy Joan Rayber said.
Rayber said the brawl, which involved between 55 and 60 inmates, was quickly broken up by deputies who “were forced to use pepper spray on five Hispanic inmates who were beating a black inmate and refused to stop.”
An argument over seating arrangements in the jail dining area apparently triggered the fight, Rayber said. Inmates used their hands, feet and food trays during the fight, but no other weapons were found.
The fight at the North County Detention Facility, which started about 7:30 a.m., was the latest in a long series of racially motivated disturbances at the four jails that make up the Pitchess Detention Center. The North County facility is the newest of the four jails.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
