Orange County Register
ORANGE, Calif. — A scuffle between two inmates turned into a brawl involving roughly 40 African American and Hispanic prisoners inside Theo Lacy facility, authorities said.
The clash caused Orange County sheriff’s officials to lock down one of the barracks inside the county jail over the weekend, limiting the movement of about 150 inmates after the Thursday fight, said John McDonald, spokesman for the department.
The fight occurred Thursday afternoon inside G barracks, McDonald said.
Deputies said the fight might have begun early Thursday while inmates were working at a job site, McDonald said.
“One of the black inmates on work detail may have touched a Hispanic inmate and it may have been seen as a sign of disrespect,” McDonald said.
Back in the east side of G barracks, which houses about 146 inmates, about 40 inmates began fighting, McDonald said.
Deputies shot pepper balls to subdue the inmates, he said.
Inmates were under lockdown in the barracks for the remainder of Thursday and Friday, he said.
The lockdown was lifted Sunday, he said.
The 40 inmates involved in the fight were moved to different locations, McDonald said. The moves included transfers to other barracks and other county jail facilities.
No major injures were reported, but four inmates reported minor injuries, he said.
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