78 inmates get into jailhouse brawl in Los Angeles

AP File Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Deputies at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Twin Towers Correctional Facility, seen in 2007, had to pepper spray inmates to break up a brawl there Wednesday.

A fight between four people behind bars at a Los Angeles County jail spiraled into a brawl involving 78 inmates on Wednesday, forcing deputies to use pepper spray and sting grenades to quell the disturbance.

The fight at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, which occurred at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, was "divided along racial lines" in a housing pod of the jail's Tower 1, according to Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It wasn't clear what set off the inmates. 

Seven inmates were taken to the hospital for minor to moderate injuries, officials said, and all 78 were treated for exposure to pepper spray as a precaution. None suffered serious injuries, and no sheriff's department personnel were hurt.

Deputies tried ordering the inmates to stop fighting, but resorted to the pepper spray and sting balls -- hand-thrown rubber pellets that produce a stinging sensation on the skin when they detonate -- when they didn't comply, Parker said. No other force was used, and the brawl ended after 15 minutes.

The Twin Towers Correctional Facility is located in downtown Los Angeles.

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Discuss this post

Put them all in jail. Oh, they already are. Convict them of a crime. Oh, they already have. Better to be fighting each other than the Guards. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

  • 5 votes
Reply#1 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:06 AM EDT

A fight along racial lines in a jail? Must be Thursday.

  • 5 votes
#1.1 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:56 AM EDT

I don't know about the whole race thing but I can see why cities in California are going broke. Would you look at this frikin jail.

  • 6 votes
#1.2 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:07 PM EDT

@Panhead-3909678 In prison, it's all about race.

  • 5 votes
#1.3 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:22 PM EDT

Let them kill each other off, at least the very bad ones. We need more room for more thugs that grew up one of ten or twenty children, on welfare, no father worth a damn in their lives, no moral compass, and never applied themselves in school or held a real job.

  • 7 votes
#1.4 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:25 PM EDT

just sent off one whistle, if they dont stop shoot to kill

  • 2 votes
#1.5 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:40 PM EDT

the fight was "divided along racial lines"

let's see....that works out to 70 black inmates against 8 white ones, if my estimation is correct

  • 4 votes
#1.6 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:40 PM EDT

Sorry - L.A. - wrong ethinicity..............

    #1.7 - Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:36 AM EDT
    Reply

    second,

    Finally an angry birds update back to reality...

      Reply#2 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:21 AM EDT

      Take those 78 inmates and put them in a tent outside the jail so they can see how good they had it. Put them behind concertina wire and let em fight like hell and see they can kill each other. Good riddence.

      • 3 votes
      Reply#3 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:59 AM EDT

      "None suffered serious injuries"

      Darn, we weren't lucky enough...................

      • 4 votes
      Reply#4 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:59 AM EDT

      I think it is kind of funny that this article seems to have been cleansed. The only thing we are told is that this was a race thing. From looking at the few other sources available the inmates involved were men.

      • 2 votes
      Reply#5 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:00 PM EDT

      Yes, "along racial lines" but not which "racial lines." One thing is for sure, if whites were involved and had instigated the fight, it would have definitely been in the headlines.

      • 9 votes
      #5.1 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:11 PM EDT

      It is LA- Black vs Mexicans

      • 8 votes
      #5.2 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:36 PM EDT
      Reply

      Open a pit up for just this thing. Get a little taxable Off-the-Pit-Betting going. Viola!... Revenue. Oh and throw in some knives for Round 2.

      • 4 votes
      Reply#6 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:26 PM EDT

      Being in LA it was probably Blacks vs Mexicans... There's big competition for control of the lucrative contraband markets in just about every facility from local all the way to the federal level. The gangs compete against each other on the streets as well as in the pen.

      • 4 votes
      Reply#7 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:42 PM EDT

      should just let them kill each other....help with the prison over crowding issue...

      • 5 votes
      Reply#8 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:55 PM EDT

      I dare you dummies to read this!

      I just have to laugh and also feel sorry for some of the people that have commented here. You know NOTHING about the state of our penal system in this country. It's a total disaster. It is SO easy to be convicted of a crime in this country you wouldn't believe it even as you watched it happen. And if you feel you are innocent, and decide to foolishly choose your right to a trial, they will double/triple your sentence for wasting the courts time and tack on 90 days for perjury(Since the jury didn't believe you then you must have lied) on top of that.

      The guards are worse then the inmates half the time and violent to inmates and their own families, their wives all cheat with each others spouses, it's very sad. No healthcare, crummy food, etc. Get sick in prison & you die there!

      Look at how nice the building is from the outside? You idiots. Have you ever been on the inside? I hope you or your loved ones never see the inside of one of these places. 1 out of every 100 US citizens is in the penal system, 1 out of every 33 US adults is in jail or on probation, we have 5% on the world population and 25% of the world incarcerated population. How can that be? We build more jails than schools! We built a prison business, not a system, and it feeds on it's own, and that's us!

      • 1 vote
      Reply#9 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:57 PM EDT

      Hey George are we supposed to feel sorry for you and other inmates or former inmates ain"t gonna happen

      • 3 votes
      #9.1 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:24 PM EDT

      Well I will admit, I do feel dummer for having read it. But I gave you the benefit of the doubt and learned one thing-If a post starts off by insulting the reader you can bet that the following text won't suddenly jump track and become informative or intelligent.

      • 1 vote
      #9.2 - Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:41 AM EDT

      Darn, Ive been a corrections officer for years at a prison with federal inmates, just to get on the internet one morning and find out my wifes cheats on me with my co-workers, and I beat her You gotta be kidding me you have no idea about working corrections, Ive seen officers get fired for swearing at inmates

        #9.3 - Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:54 PM EDT
        Reply

        A bunch of inmates get into a fight... no serious injuries. This story is about as newsworthy as a dog farting. At least that is funny!

        • 3 votes
        Reply#10 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:13 PM EDT

        Sitting in jail on the taxpayers dime is a joke...... put them to work like the chain gangs and screw the ACLU.

        • 11 votes
        Reply#11 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:13 PM EDT

        Set them all up in the Hunger Games!!!!

        • 3 votes
        Reply#12 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:42 PM EDT

        Should have tossed in a dozen handguns. Last man standing gets a free lunch.

        • 3 votes
        Reply#13 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:56 PM EDT

        Welcome to the California Nightmare.

        For the past fifty years California has been flooded with criminals, fugitives, low-lifers and desperados from around the world, made possible by the porous borders, immigration policy, corrupt politicians and a dysfunctional state government.

        California has been spending more money building jails during the last two decades than constructing public schools. But the additional jails are futile. In the major metro areas, the inept California's public schools produce a steady supply of future jail inmates. Dominated by the teachers' union, California's public school is a mecca for student-teacher sex and wasting tax payer money mass producing gang members, drop-outs, and illiteracy. The largest school district in USA, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)is rifed with corruption and several student-teacher sex scandals. At one school, the numerous sex scandals suggest a sex orgy rather than a classroom.

        Despite nearly half a billion dollar budget, LAUSD is broke -- like the State of California. Meanwhile, the jail populations steady increased beyond capacity despite doubling up or even tripling up in some cases. The over crowding has become so severe that years ago, a Federal Judge ordered the State to release criminals or construct additional jail facility. Unable to construct jails faster than the growing number of criminals, inmates were release after serving less than half their sentenced term--some were never even incarcerated.

        Behind the facade of sunny sky-palm trees-backyard swimming pool: Convicted Thieves, Burglars, Vandals and Rapists are freely roaming the streets of Southern California looking for golden opportunity and the next victim. Welcome to the California Nightmare.

        • 4 votes
        Reply#14 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:07 PM EDT

        What a surprise that this would happen in Los Angeles. LA and California are a cesspool. Bankrupt, a legislation that can't pass any bills, illegal aliens everywhere, high taxes, a poor school system, and on and on. The Golden State is anything but golden. It is more like cheap, rusty tin.

        • 3 votes
        Reply#15 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:44 PM EDT

        You mean 'Undocumented Obama Voters' don't you.

        This country is well on the slide into oblivion when you figure that 45% of the voters work for a living while the remaining 55% vote for a living.

        • 1 vote
        #15.1 - Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:45 AM EDT
        Reply

        Yes I live in the Great Rusted State. The Public Employee Unions have bought all the politicians. Governor Brown Nose is on their very short Leash. How ever it's all about to collapse. It's been a house of cards for decades. The P U Employees Benefit program is ALL smoke and Mirrors. Pretty soon the Pensioners will be rioting. There is nothing worst than retired Cops and Firefighters rioting. They will know how to turn this Turnip cart over.

        Regarding the jail riot. The Sheriffs Deputies decide if and when a fight will break out. They have complete control over those Jails. It might of been started to shut up a trouble maker. It only got as Big as they decided to let it get. It maybe a ploy by the Sheriff to try and get more of the scum serving sentences in Jails to be released based on over crowding. The other problem are the Courts who are as corrupt as the Sheriffs department. Bottom Line. It's the Money. All about the Money.

        • 1 vote
        Reply#16 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:40 PM EDT

        Should have used zyklon-b pellets instead, it would have worked better and saved us alot of tax money down the road.

        • 1 vote
        Reply#17 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:44 PM EDT

        What a flippin cess pool.

        Just shoot them.

        • 3 votes
        Reply#18 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:33 PM EDT

        Calling the facility the "Twin Towers" is just a bit disrespectful. Just saying.

          Reply#19 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:02 PM EDT

          Humerous.

          Actually that name was given to it years before 911. Actually all LA County buildings have a name of a former employee. usually somebody who either died in the Line of Duty or contributed something of significance.

          Unfortunately Naming a building does not make up for the Failed Los Angeles County policies.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#20 - Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:32 PM EDT

          "... and a good time was had by all." :D

            Reply#21 - Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:50 AM EDT
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