A riot involving approximately 200 inmates at Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, California, led to the hospitalization of eight correctional officers and one inmate, as reported by KCRA.
The incident, which occurred last Wednesday, prompted a statewide threat assessment across all California prisons.
The riot reportedly began around 10 a.m. during a contraband investigation. As prison guards were escorting an inmate across the yard, the inmate headbutted a staff member, triggering a mass attack on the officers. "Approximately 200 incarcerated people on the yard rushed toward the officers attacking them with fists and rocks," the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told KCRA.
In response to the escalating violence, correctional officers employed "chemical agents and non-lethal impact rounds" to regain control of the situation, following a warning shot from a rifle, as per the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's statement to KCRA.
The aftermath of the riot saw eight correctional officers and one inmate transported to a local hospital due to injuries sustained during the incident. CBS News reported that these individuals were later moved to a different medical facility for a "higher level of care." All nine were discharged from the hospital the following day. However, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has not provided further details regarding the severity of their injuries.
KCRA reported that 30 inmates have been identified for their direct involvement in the riot at Ironwood State Prison, a minimum-medium security facility located east of Los Angeles in California's desert. The prison, which opened in 1994, houses approximately 2,500 male inmates.
The riot has led to significant repercussions, including a statewide prison threat warning and a one-day statewide threat assessment that resulted in inmates being confined to their cells. An investigation into the incident at Ironwood State Prison is currently underway.
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