RivCo Man Dies After Fight Inside Banning Jail

BANNING, CA — A man at the Banning jail died on Christmas evening after deputies attempted to break up a fight between two inmates, authorities said.

Around 8:40 p.m., deputies at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning were alerted of two inmates fighting in a cell, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies tried to stop the altercation by shooting pepper spray into the cell. After both inmates were separated and cuffed, 24-year-old James Hirt of Norco fell unconscious.

Deputies and jail medical staff began lifesaving measures, with more paramedics on the way, but the Hirt was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

The Sheriff's Force Investigations Detail and the Riverside Sheriff's Corrections Central Investigations Unit have begun an investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call Riverside Sheriff's Investigator Scott Anderson or Riverside County District Attorney Investigator JR Ferrer at 951–955–2777.

This year, Riverside County's jail system has reported its highest number of detainee deaths in decades, including several suicides. What's more, a troubling series of reports and investigations revealed that Riverside County's jails were among the deadliest in the U.S. today.

READ MORE: RivCo Has One Of The Deadliest Jail Systems In U.S.: Report