8 California guards, 7 inmates sent to hospital after brawl
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A fight between two California prisoners quickly raged out of control Wednesday and forced correctional officers to open fire to stop a melee that sent eight guards and seven inmates to hospitals, corrections officials said.
Guards in three gun towers fired 19 bullets from semi-automatic rifles and three hard foam rounds to stop large groups of prisoners from attacking guards who were using pepper spray and batons to break up a fistfight at high-security Pelican Bay State Prison near the Oregon border.
Five of the seven injured inmates suffered gunshot wounds. One was airlifted to a different hospital for a higher level of care, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Three inmates who were shot were admitted to hospitals and two were discharged back to prison, she said.
All of the injured guards were treated and released. One of those officers will eventually need surgery for an injured shoulder, Thornton said.