Brawl At Donovan State Prison Leaves 4 Inmates Injured

OTAY MESA, CA – A brawl in a maximum-security exercise yard at Donovan State Prison left four inmates injured Thursday, three seriously, authorities reported.

The fight at the Otay Mesa-area penitentiary erupted about 11 a.m., when seven prisoners surrounded an eighth man and began beating him with a cane, corrections Lt. Jennifer Davies said.
The targeted inmate ran, but was chased down by the attackers. He then produced a makeshift weapon and fought back, Davies said.

Guards used pepper spray to quell the fracas, directing the scuffling prisoners to get down on the ground and follow the instructions of responding staff members.

Medics took three of the involved inmates to a civilian hospital for treatment of gashes to the head, stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, and other trauma, Davies said. A fourth was treated by prison medical staff for less severe injuries.

Prison staffers impounded three weapons -- the cane and two implements that had been surreptitiously created by prisoners.

Inmate access to the yard where the fight occurred will be limited pending completion of investigations into the incident, according to Davies.

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--City News Service