13 Inmates Injured in 2 Racial Disturbances at Jail
Thirteen inmates suffered minor injuries Saturday morning in two racially charged disturbances between black and Latino inmates at the North County Correctional Facility, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.
The first fight began inside dormitory 811 at 8:10 a.m. and involved 30 to 40 inmates, said Sgt. George Ducoulombier. After two minutes, deputies broke up the fight by using verbal commands and a sting-ball grenade, which shoots small rubber pellets.
About five minutes later, another incident broke out in dormitory 813, also involving 30 to 40 black and Latino inmates, Ducoulombier said. That incident was stopped by verbal commands.
The cause of the disturbances was under investigation, but deputies said the inmates were divided along racial lines.
The injured inmates were treated at the facility’s medical center. North County Correctional Facility houses about 3,500 inmates.
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