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Some inmates got in a fight yesterday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson. By “some inmates,” we mean about 200 inmates brawled for good half-hour.
According to the Arizona Department of Corrections, approximately 200 Hispanic and African-American inmates kicked things off around 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Rita Unit, out in the prison yard.
Guards eventually got things under control around 6 p.m., with what the DOC calls “minimal force,” including the use of pepper spray.
Two corrections officers were taken to the hospital for their injuries, but they have since been released.
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Out of the approximately 200 inmates that were brawling, just 11 got it bad enough that they needed to be taken to the hospital. Five of those inmates have since been released and returned to the prison, while the other six are still in the hospital in stable condition.
Prison officials are still investigating the whole incident.
It’s probably not surprising, but the DOC is not allowing visitation to the Santa Rita Unit this weekend — all other units are still open for visitation business — and the unit’s going to be on lock-down for a bit.
The Tucson complex is home to 5,132 inmates, with 727 of those inmates living in the Santa Rita Unit.
